Since the beginning of the year, more than 500 people have drowned or are missing in the Mediterranean. More and more people have set off from the Tunisian coast.
At least 1,200 migrants aspiring to Europe are adrift on two overcrowded fishing boats in the Mediterranean, Italian authorities say. There are 800 people on the bigger ship and 400 on the smaller one.
The rescue work of the ship carrying 800 people is said to be underway about 200 kilometers from the city of Syracuse. According to the Italian Coast Guard, the rescue work is hampered by, among other things, the fact that there are too many people on board.
The smaller of the vessels is said to be from Tobruk, Libya, and was still without help as of Monday evening. According to Alarm Phone, an unofficial organization helping migrants, an urgent request for help has been sent to the authorities in Italy, Greece and Malta.
According to the BBC (you will switch to another service) a Maltese ship would have already arrived, but the Maltese authorities would have forbidden it from helping the migrants. Malta has not commented on the information.
According to the BBC, the smaller ship is without a captain and several passengers are in need of medical attention.
More than 2,000 people were rescued on Friday
According to the Italian Coast Guard, an operation was also underway on Friday in which 2,000 people were rescued. Two died and twenty are missing, says the ResQship organization.
In recent weeks, several ships carrying migrants have arrived in Italy, especially on the island of Lampedusa. The island is Italy’s outermost island and one of the main landing spots for migrants seeking Europe.
Many of the ships have come from Tunisia, which according to aid organizations has become the most common departure point in Africa. It used to be Libya.
The number of immigrants has doubled since last year
The number of visitors is increasing (you switch to another service) despite the fact that Italy’s right-wing government has promised to eradicate the number of migrants seeking to enter the country. According to the Ministry of the Interior, 14,000 migrants have already arrived in Italy this year, while the corresponding number last year was 5,300.
More than 500 people have drowned or gone missing in the Mediterranean so far this year, he estimates International Organization for Migration IOM (you switch to another service). Last year, around 2,400 people drowned or went missing.
There was a dip in the number of migrants aspiring to Europe in 2020, when movement was severely restricted during the corona pandemic. The highest numbers were during the years 2015 and 2016.
All in all, no fewer than 26,000 people have drowned or gone missing in the central Mediterranean since 2014.
Sources: AP, AFP, Reuters