Hundreds Of Migrants Await Rescue At Sea
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ROME (Worthy News) – Hundreds of migrants feeling war, persecution, and poverty were still awaiting to be rescued Wednesday off the coast of southern Italy, more than two days after activists raised the alarm.
Some 400 people were reportedly cramped on a fishing boat which is believed to have set out from Tobruk in Libya.
The on-board remains “dramatic,” an unofficial hotline for migrants in distress stressed.
Italy’s coast guard said it was escorting the vessel, but problematic sea conditions affected the rescue.
The boat is one of two vessels carrying migrants currently being assisted by the Italian coastguard. The second is carrying around 800 people, which was considered overcrowded. It is not clear where the boat set out from.
Wednesday’s troubles came as Italy’s right-wing government declared a six-month national state of emergency to deal with a surge in migrants arriving on the country’s southern shores.
This year already, some 31,000 migrants, either rescued by Italian military boats or charity ships or reaching Italy without assistance, have disembarked, says Italy’s Interior Ministry figures.
That’s reportedly nearly four times the roughly 8,000 for the same period in each of the two previous years.
Italy’s coastguard said it had already rescued around 2,000 people in other operations since Friday after a number of boats arrived at the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The island is one of the main arrival ports for people, including women and children, wanting to reach Europe.
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