Madness in the Med as 539 migrants are saved from ONE boat
THIS is the incredible scene encountered by Italian coastguards as they rescued a drifting boat with 539 migrants crammed on to it.
With so little space, many migrants had to dangle their legs over the side as the vessel was spotted off the island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean at the weekend.
They were taken to the port of Lampedusa, along with 27 – including a baby – found on another boat in the same area.
The migrants are thought to have started their journey in Libya. Several on the larger vessel displayed signs that they had been mistreated.
Alida Serrachieri, from humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, said: ‘They had burn wounds, firearms wounds. [They] were very worn down, some were dehydrated.’
Many of the migrants were from North Africa, although some of them were said to be from Bangladesh.
Lampedusa mayor Toto Martello described the rescue as ‘one of the biggest landings in recent times’.
A camp set up on the island to house migrants as they wait to be processed has been overwhelmed.
Originally designed to hold fewer than 300 people, the camp now has five times that number living there and more held on the road outside.
Italy interior minister Luciana Lamorgese said ‘an urgent change of direction in the interventions of the European Union’s migratory policy’ was needed.
Recent figures show 12,900 migrants arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean and Canary Islands routes in July. Of those, 8,600 landed in Italy. Migrants landing in southern Europe are among those who try to cross the English Channel from France.
A record 828 reached England on small boats on August 22. Another 193 were intercepted by the French.
It took the number of arrivals for the year in Britain to more than 12,000, compared with 8,410 for all of 2020.