Last month the UNHCR described the Mediterranean crossing from the Middle East and Africa to Europe as “the most lethal route in the world” after a record 3,419 migrants lost their lives in 2014 crossing the sea.
Although it has not been confirmed where the migrants aboard the Ezadeen come from, the UNHCR told The Independent it believed the number of refugees from Syria was rising sharply.
In 2014 for the first time, people from refugee-producing countries – mainly Syria and Eritrea (as opposed to countries producing high numbers of economic migrants) – “have become a major component in this tragic flow, accounting for almost 50 per cent of the total”, said the UN body. On Wednesday about 900, mostly Syrian, refugees arrived in Italy after they were abandoned by the crew of the Moldovan-registered Blue Sky M cargo ship, who had fled leaving the vessel on a crash course for the Italian coast. The Coast Guard also boarded that vessel and navigated it to port.
The Blue Sky M drifted within five miles of the shore before six navy officers were lowered on to the ship by helicopter and succeeded in bringing it under control.
One migrant aboard the 48-year-old Ezadeen, which is registered in Sierra Leone but has Lebanese owners, managed to operate the vessel’s radio and contact the Italian Coast Guard on Thursday night.
By this point the ship’s crew had fled, leaving it to plough a The Coast Guard notified the nearby Icelandic patrol boat Tyr, which was in the area on a mission with Frontex. The Tyr drew alongside the runaway ship, but huge waves made boarding impossible.
A Frontex spokesman said: “It was not until some hours later, when the vessel carrying the migrants ran out of fuel, that five Icelandic officers were able to get on board, attach a tow rope and bring the ship under control.”
Yesterday, six Italian Coast Guard officers were lowered from a helicopter on to the deck of the 73m-long Ezadeen to take control and navigate the vessel to the Italian mainland.
Frontex said the migrants aboard were “visibly distressed but overall in good medical condition”. They have been given food, water and basic medical assistance.
Coast Guard spokesman Filippo Marini said the nationality or nationalities of the migrants was not yet clear.
He added: “What is clear is that among them there were lots of children and women, including some pregnant women. What we know for now is that the ship left from a Turkish port and that the crew fled.”
Last month the UNHCR described the Mediterranean crossing from the Middle East and Africa to Europe as “the most lethal route in the world” after a record 3,419 migrants lost their lives in 2014 crossing the sea.Although it has not been confirmed where the migrants aboard the Ezadeen come from, the UNHCR told The Independent it believed the number of refugees from Syria was rising sharply.In 2014 for the first time, people from refugee-producing countries – mainly Syria and Eritrea (as opposed to countries producing high numbers of economic migrants) – “have become a major component in this tragic flow, accounting for almost 50 per cent of the total”, said the UN body. On Wednesday about 900, mostly Syrian, refugees arrived in Italy after they were abandoned by the crew of the Moldovan-registered Blue Sky M cargo ship, who had fled leaving the vessel on a crash course for the Italian coast. The Coast Guard also boarded that vessel and navigated it to port.The Blue Sky M drifted within five miles of the shore before six navy officers were lowered on to the ship by helicopter and succeeded in bringing it under control. One migrant aboard the 48-year-old Ezadeen, which is registered in Sierra Leone but has Lebanese owners, managed to operate the vessel’s radio and contact the Italian Coast Guard on Thursday night.By this point the ship’s crew had fled, leaving it to plough a The Coast Guard notified the nearby Icelandic patrol boat Tyr, which was in the area on a mission with Frontex. The Tyr drew alongside the runaway ship, but huge waves made boarding impossible.
A Frontex spokesman said: “It was not until some hours later, when the vessel carrying the migrants ran out of fuel, that five Icelandic officers were able to get on board, attach a tow rope and bring the ship under control.”
Yesterday, six Italian Coast Guard officers were lowered from a helicopter on to the deck of the 73m-long Ezadeen to take control and navigate the vessel to the Italian mainland.
Frontex said the migrants aboard were “visibly distressed but overall in good medical condition”. They have been given food, water and basic medical assistance.
Coast Guard spokesman Filippo Marini said the nationality or nationalities of the migrants was not yet clear.
He added: “What is clear is that among them there were lots of children and women, including some pregnant women. What we know for now is that the ship left from a Turkish port and that the crew fled.”
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