Status: 03/26/2022 12:42 p.m
The rescue ship “Ocean Viking” has rescued more than 120 migrants from an overcrowded inflatable boat in the Mediterranean. According to the aid organization SOS Méditerrané, two people were found dead in the boat.
In another mission, the “Ocean Viking” rescued 128 refugees from distress in the Mediterranean Sea. The aid organization SOS Méditerranée said on Twitter that the men, women and children were taken out of an overcrowded inflatable boat on Friday. For two people, however, the help came too late, they were found dead on the boat. Due to the extreme weather conditions, only one body could be recovered.
The “Ocean Viking” had already reported the rescue of 30 people from an unseaworthy inflatable boat off the Libyan coast on Thursday.
The “Sea-Eye 4” of the German organization Sea-Eye is currently in use in the central Mediterranean off the Libyan coast to rescue migrants from distress at sea.
Escape in often unseaworthy boats
Again and again, people seeking protection dare to cross to Europe in often unseaworthy and overcrowded boats from Libya, where many of them suffer torture and other human rights violations. There is currently no state-organized sea rescue mission in the Mediterranean.
Since it was founded in 2015, the organization SOS Méditerranée has rescued more than 34,800 people in distress at sea. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Mediterranean Sea is the most dangerous refugee route in the world.
According to the IOM, 348 people have died or are missing during the crossing since the beginning of this year. The number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher.
In Italy, the Interior Ministry recorded more than 6,500 migrants arriving in boats this year as of Thursday. The value is above that of the same period last year (around 6180). Among the migrants who arrived were 830 unaccompanied minors.