Six migrants aboard a rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea attempted suicide and others fought and threatened other passengers and crew members in mounting despair over their inability to find a country willing to host them.
SOS Mediterranee, which operates the Ocean Viking, said in a statement that the ship carrying 180 immigrants declared a state of emergency to emphasize the deterioration of the situation on board as the crew renews its calls for a safe harbor.
“This is an unprecedented step in the history of SOS MEDITERRANEE, triggered first and foremost by the rapid deterioration in the mental health of some of the survivors on board, particularly among a group of 44 people,” the charity said in a statement.
“TThe 44 people for whom we are seeking assistance are in a state of acute mental distress, expressed intent to inflict harm on themselves and others, including crew members, and expressed suicidal thoughts. “
The charity said it submitted seven requests for permission to enter a port, and said it had received a negative response from Italy and Malta after its first port request, and did not respond to its six subsequent requests.
Meanwhile, Italy responded with a psychologist’s phone number, the group said.
🔴 UPDATE: Following the declaration of a state of emergency aboard the #OceanViking, the Italian maritime authorities informed us of an upcoming visit by an on-board psychologist. We are still awaiting this visit and remember that survivors must disembark immediately. pic.twitter.com/wKBJ2VRQdj
– SOS MEDITERRANEE (@SOSMedIntl) July 3, 2020
There were no immediate responses from the government of any of the countries regarding the alleged denials.
The migrants were rescued from the smugglers’ boats able to navigate in the central Mediterranean during four operations between June 25 and 30.
SOS Mediterranee said the first operation took place in international waters where Italy and Malta have overlap of rescue jurisdiction, while the other rescues occurred in the Malta search and rescue area.
“I do not feel safe”
The rescued people include a pregnant woman and 25 minors, 17 of them traveling without relatives or guardians, the charity said.
The immigrants, which include Pakistanis, North Africans, Eritreans, Nigerians and others, were detained after fleeing Libya in four separate raids by the Ocean Viking.
In addition to threatening to hurt themselves or others, some of the passengers began to fight each other, he said.
SOS Mediterranee said two migrants jumped overboard in what the organization said looked like suicide attempts and were rescued from the sea again, while three others were detained before they got off the ship. He reported that another passenger attempted suicide on board, the charity said.
He called the “troubling behavior and declining mental health” of some of the rescued passengers a “direct result of unnecessary confrontation at sea and lack of resolution” for a port.
SOS Mediterranee expressed concern that “in addition to the acute psychological distress in which several of the survivors find themselves, the deterioration of the climatic conditions represents an even greater threat to the lives of those who could try to reach the coast by jumping” Ocean Viking.
A reporter for the AFP news agency aboard the ship said tensions have increased over the past week as immigrants have become increasingly desperate to land. Others have been distraught at not being able to phone their families to let them know they were safe.
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The dangers and struggles of Mediterranean migration |
A crew member, Ludovic, told AFP that he had never witnessed so much violence aboard a rescue ship, after a series of fights between migrants and suicide threats.
“I don’t feel safe,” said Ludovic. “We have to find a port now, it is a matter of security.”
Nicholas Romaniuk, in charge of rescue operations on board, said there was no “legal or moral” reason to keep migrants on board.
“It was Malta that alerted us and gave us the position of one of the distressed ships and now they do not answer the phone,” Romaniuk said.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 100,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean last year, and more than 1,200 died in the attempt.
Both Italy and Malta have taken a hard line in private rescue boats, expressing concern that such operations could encourage Libyan-based human smugglers to continue to launch migrants to Europe in dangerous conditions.
The two countries have also insisted that other members of the European Union welcome more immigrants as asylum seekers, as those who arrive on the southern European coasts often aim to make northern European nations their destinations. endings. Few nations have responded to Italian and Maltese appeals.
The arrival of summer and more favorable conditions at sea may lead to an increase in attempts to cross the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching Europe.
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