Status: 08/12/2022 12:48 p.m
With 87 rescued people on board, the sea rescue ship “Sea-Eye 4” is allowed to dock in Sicily. The refugees were rescued near Malta two weeks ago. But the state refused to dock the ship.
Almost two weeks after their rescue, the 87 refugees are allowed to go ashore on the “Sea-Eye 4” in Sicily. The German sea rescue ship is expected in the port of Pozzallo in the south of the Mediterranean island on Friday evening. The Italian authorities have assigned them this port, the organization Sea-Eye explained.
Malta refuses landing
The crew rescued people from an overcrowded wooden boat in Malta’s rescue zone on July 31, the organization reported. Since then they had stayed at sea for a fortnight. According to their own statements, the sea rescuers had tried in vain for days to bring the refugees to Malta. The state has been refusing to allow rescue ships to land for months, which is why refugees rescued in the Mediterranean are almost always brought to Italy. However, many initial reception centers there, like on Lampedusa, are regularly overcrowded.
Because there is no state and coordinated sea rescue, civil aid organizations are deployed in emergencies at sea. “It is unbearable that the EU’s inability to agree on functioning distribution mechanisms was once again carried out on the backs of people seeking protection,” criticized the Sea-Eye organization.
Sharp criticism of Malta
The NGO Sea Watch sharply criticized Malta’s behavior. A reconnaissance aircraft had sighted numerous refugee boats in the past two days and alerted the Maltese authorities. Three boats were in danger of capsizing.
In the event of a sinking boat, a tragedy could have been prevented thanks to a sailing ship from the Spanish rescue organization Open Arms, Sea-Watch said. “It was Malta’s duty to save each of these three boats.” The fact that Malta does not save people fleeing is deeply racist and inhuman behavior.
Another 121 people brought to Lampedusa
Meanwhile, the sailing ship “Nadir” of the German aid organization Resqship accompanied 121 people in an overcrowded wooden boat to Lampedusa after the crew had provided the occupants with life jackets. The boat was in danger of capsizing in waves of one meter, the organization said. The alarm call to the responsible authorities was ignored for hours.
Crossing the Mediterranean Sea is one of the most dangerous escape routes in the world. According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 1,080 people have died or are missing this year. The number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher.