The phone does not stop ringing. In the past days we received distress calls from all three main regions of the Mediterranean Sea.
Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday we received calls from the Western Mediterranean Sea. While the passengers on the three vessels survived, they were unfortunately intercepted/rescued by the Moroccan Navy and returned to Morocco:
Last Friday we learned from someone that his mother was travelling with others on a vessel in the Aegean Sea and was in a situation of distress. Contact to the passengers could not be established but, luckily, we learned later that they had arrived safely on land. This is merely one of thousands of arrivals on the Greek islands in the past few days and weeks. The day before we received the distress call, about 750 refugees arrived on the island of Lesvos alone and the day after approximately 555 refugees arrived. The situation on Lesvos is catastrophic with needed support and resources for the newly arrived desperately lacking. Find the report here:http://watchthemed.net/reports/view/139
Last Saturday we were called from a vessel in distress in the Central Mediterranean Sea, carrying about 100 people. The situation was worrisome but, eventually, they were rescued by a merchant vessel as they confirmed themselves after the rescue operation. Find the report here:http://watchthemed.net/reports/view/140
The phone was also ringing several times this week already. It is indicative of what is going on at the maritime borders of Europe. We call on the EU, its member states and European societies to open up borders for these people on the move. Freedom of movement for all, not merely the privileged few!
Hagen