In the Mediterranean, in this migratory corridor of death, theocean viking day before. The crew of the ambulance ship, chartered by SOS Méditerranée, announced on Friday that they had rescued 272 survivors, including nine babies, distributed in three boats in international waters off the coast of Libya.
“Among these 272 survivors, there are 32 unaccompanied minors, nine babies and five people with disabilities”, detailed the NGO based in Marseille, specifying that “23 nationalities are represented”. “Medical consultations on board have been in progress” since Thursday, the NGO explained.
2,013 migrants missing since early 2023
The central Mediterranean is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The UN agency estimates that since the beginning of 2023, 2,013 migrants have disappeared there, compared to 1,417 over the whole of 2022.
In June, a shipwreck presented as one of the most serious involving migrants in the Mediterranean, left at least 82 dead, but in the eastern Mediterranean. L’ocean viking had been detained for ten days in July by the Italian authorities who blamed him for security failures, but he had been authorized to return to sea on July 21.