Aita Mari’s 105 rescued refugees finally allowed to come ashore

Italy allows the ship to port in Sicily after Malta forces it to sail through stormy seas THE Aita Mari was finally granted a port today after it was forced to sail through stormy seas last night. The ship rescued 105 people within Malta’s search-and-rescue (SAR) zone on Tuesday but was left with nowhere to

EU urged to continue support for Libyan Coastguard, leaked document shows

EUBAM Libya makes the call despite being fully aware of the systemic human rights abuses refugees face in the country ONE OF the first things rescuers do when they reach an overcrowded, flimsy boat adrift in Mediterranean Sea is to provide those on it with life vests. Not so for the Libyan Coastguards. Anyone who

Maltese and Italian coastguards fail to assist NGO rescuers who asked for their help

Aita Mari saves the lives of more people than it can legally bring on board but the authorities ignored their plight AN NGO refugee rescue ship in the central Mediterranean waited hours today for help from the Maltese and Italian coastguards that never came after the vessel saved the lives of 148 people, 28 more

Doctors Without Borders to resume lifesaving missions in the central Mediterranean

Charity announces new alliance with refugee rescuers Sea Watch as European states continue to ignore migrant deaths INTERNATIONAL charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is to resume lifesaving operations in the central Mediterranean on board a new rescue ship. MSF announced yesterday that it was teaming up with German refugee rescuers Sea Watch on board the

First refugees rescued off the Libyan coast in 8 weeks as the Sea Watch 3 saves the lives of over 90 people

EU using chartered planes to organise the Libyan Coastguard’s interceptions of refugee boats, NGOs’ report shows RESCUERS today carried out their first mission off the coast of Libya since Italy seized two charity ships eight weeks ago. Sea Watch 3, a vessel operated by German charity Sea Watch, reported at about noon that it had

‘Europe will continue with its border control policies, and we will continue fighting for human rights’

IÑIGO MIJANGOS tells The Civil Fleet how his charity’s ship, the Aita Mari, was seized in Italy after saving the lives of 47 refugees “WE WERE on our way back from Syracuse to Spain when we received a message from Malta of some boats adrift to the south,” Iñigo Mijangos, chairman of the Basque refugee

NGOs urge supporters to demand the Italian government releases seized rescue ships

Meanwhile, the IOM and UNHCR put pressure on Malta to bring 160 refugees detained on offshore tour ships to dry land NGO refugee rescuers have demanded the Italian government release two charity ships the authorities seized earlier this month and to start supporting their humanitarian work. The Alan Kurdi and the Aita Mari were detained

Europe chose to allow 12 refugees to die of thirst while organising the survivors’ pushback to Libya

EUROPEAN states chose to allow 12 refugees to die of thirst or drown while orchestrating the forced return of the 51 survivors to Libya, a migrant rights activist network has charged. Alarm Phone, which operates a hotline for migrants in distress at sea, was contacted last weekend by four boats in distress in the Mediterranean.

Refugee rescuers blast European lawlessness in the Mediterranean

EUROPE’S borders are descending into chaos every day, a refugee rescue organisation has charged. The comments came as 191 people on board two NGO ships continue their wait to be allowed onto dry land. The Italian authorities told the rescue ship Alan Kurdi last weekend that a coastguard ship would transfer the 149 refugees the

Mediterranean becomes refugee graveyard this Easter as Malta and Italy fail to act

DISTRESS calls from at least four refugee boats were ignored by Europe’s maritime authorities this Easter. Between Good Friday and today, refugee hotline organisation Alarm Phone was in contact with four boats with an estimated 47, 55, 71 and 85 people on board. Despite the first two boats having been inside Malta’s search-and-rescue zone since