Immigrants are still taking the risky route of the Mediterranean from Libyan shores to European ones looking for better lives and the latest attempt was 137 illegal immigrants who got rescued off the Libyan coast’ seven of whom – including two newborns – were disembarked in Lampedusa in Italy for medical reasons.
Ocean Viking rescue ship of SOS Mediterranean NGO and MSF said it had rescued 60 immigrants 60 miles off Libya’s coast on Thursday, saying the immigrants were on a crowded wooden boat with little kids onboard.
Alan Kurdi ship of the German Sea-Eye NGO rescued as well 84 illegal immigrants in two separate operations on Thursday, 44 of whom were on a dinghy – 21 women, a child and newborns included. The women said they have been trapped in Libya for three years.
The immigrants are still awaiting permission to disembark in one of the nearby ports as the two ships’ calls haven’t been responded to yet, knowing that Sea-Eye was instructed to return the immigrants to Libya but it preferred not to, citing violations against immigrants in Libya.
