EUROPE-MIGRANTS/PALERMO-RESCUE Nearly 800 African and Middle Eastern migrants rescued at sea arrive in Sicily

Record ID: 146341

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/PALERMO-RESCUE Nearly 800 African and Middle Eastern migrants rescued at sea arrive in Sicily
  • Date: 25th July 2015
  • Summary: PALERMO, SICILY, ITALY (JULY 25, 2015) (REUTERS) FEMALE MIGRANTS BEHIND GATE ON DECK LOOKING ON EMERGENCY WORKERS IN PORT LOOKING ON MIGRANTS LOOKING ON FROM DECK AS THEY WAIT TO DISEMBARK EMERGENCY WORKERS ON PORT SIDE MALE MIGRANT BEING HELPED WALK DOWN GANGWAY AND SIT IN WHEELCHAIR MIGRANT BEING WHEELED AWAY IN WHEELCHAIR VEILED FEMALE MIGRANT BEING HELPED WALK DOWN GAN
  • Embargoed: 9th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAB64I6FUGKLV0BL6ENCCZUSETP
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Almost 800 migrants from Africa and the Middle East arrived at the Sicilian city of Palermo aboard a Norwegian navy ship on Saturday (July 25) morning.
    The migrants, mainly from Sudan, Eritrea and Syria, were taken to port aboard the vessel Siem Pilot, which is participating in the European Union rescue efforts in the Mediterranean.
    A number of migrants could be seen requiring medical care and assistance to disembark the vessel after it docked in Palermo.
    Several women and children were among the migrants, who were given bags containing snacks and drinks as they lined up for standard identification and health checks at the port.
    Meanwhile, the Italian coast guard on Saturday morning released footage of some 111 migrants being rescued from a rubber boat at sea on Friday (July 24).
    No details of the migrants' nationalities, gender or health condition were immediately available.
    The latest arrivals come just days after some 40 African migrants were reported to have drowned at sea after their inflatable boat sank near the Libyan coast on Thursday (July 23).
    All the dead came from sub-Saharan countries such as Senegal, Mali and Benin, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said.
    A team from the Save the Children charity that interviewed some of the survivors said up to 7 children, aged about 15 or 16, were also believed to have died in the incident.
    Italy has become one of the main entry points in Europe for immigrants seeking a better life, with more than 85,000 migrants - mostly from Africa and the Middle East - reaching the country so far this year via the Mediterranean.
    However, many of the boats are unseaworthy and the United Nations estimates that some 1,900 would-be migrants have died since January trying to make the crossing.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register