Nearly 9,000 migrants rescued in Mediterranean over weekend, IOM says

Record ID: 645552

  • Title: Nearly 9,000 migrants rescued in Mediterranean over weekend, IOM says
  • Date: 18th April 2017
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (APRIL 18, 2017) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION (IOM) SPOKESMAN LEONARD DOYLE SAYING: "It is obvious that better spring weather has encouraged smugglers to take people from their detention centers - and there are estimated to be as many as 20,000 in detention in numerous unofficial and official detention centers across Tripoli - that the smugglers have clearly taken them out to sea and pushed them out in the hope and belief that they would be rescued, but sending them to sea in extremely unseaworthy, flimsy rubber vessels with motors, etcetera."
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 13:28
  • Keywords: Mediterranean Libya Africans IOM sea rescue
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND/ AT SEA, OFF THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF SPAIN
  • City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND/ AT SEA, OFF THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF SPAIN
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0036CXEZIF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Nearly 9,000 mainly African migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean over the Easter holiday weekend, between April 13-16 (Thursday to Sunday), in 65 different search and rescue operations.
    Migrants had begun setting out from Libya anew, on unseaworthy boats heading towards Italy, U.N. aid agencies said on Tuesday (April 18).
    Overall, these search and rescue operations involved 35 vessels, among which eight belong to NGOs, 11 to the Italian coast guards, 4 to Frontex.
    At least 900 men, women and children have died or gone missing while attempting to reach Europe by sea so far this year, while 36,000 have been rescued, against 24,000 last year.
    Spanish coast guard rescued 58 African migrants travelling in two separate dinghy boats on Sunday (April 16) in the Alboran Sea, the most western portion of the Mediterranean Sea lying between the Iberian Peninsula and north Africa, coast guard officials said.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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