Rescue ship's captain accuses European states of abandoning migrants

By Guglielmo Mangiapane and Antonio Denti

 

Sea-Watch 3 rescue ship is pictured as it remains blocked one mile outside the port of Lampedusa, Italy, June 27, 2019. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

 

ON BOARD SEA-WATCH 3, Italy (Reuters) - The captain of rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 said on Thursday European states have no interest in finding a political solution for the 42 migrants aboard her vessel, now positioned off the Italian island of Lampedusa.

 

After 14 days stranded in international waters the captain, Carola Rackete, said she had decided to head to the Italian coast because she felt maritime emergency law permitted the ship to do so.

 

Rackete, a 31-year-old German, has become a symbol of defiance in Italian media for challenging Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's policy of closing ports to NGO ships, which he accuses of being complicit with people smugglers.

 

The captain said Sea-Watch had tried without success since the beginning to cooperate with the authorities, engaging with Italy, Germany, Malta and France and opening contacts with the European Commission.

 

"It has been made very clear that none of these actors actually has any interest in finding a solution and it ultimately has been us who had to take steps", Rackete said.

 

"We have been left totally alone", she added.

 

The Sea-Watch 3 picked up 53 migrants from a rubber boat off the coast of Libya and had remained in international waters since June 12. Eleven migrants have already been taken off the ship by the Italian coastguard for health reasons.

 

Sea-Watch spokeswoman Giorgia Linardi said in a video posted on Twitter that the ship had tried to enter the port but was blocked by police and now stands one mile off the port of Lampedusa.

 

A group of opposition lawmakers has boarded the vessel and refuses to get off until a solution is found and the European Union called on Italy on Thursday to help find a swift solution for the migrants.

 

The captain's decision to enter Italian waters could have legal implications.

 

According to a decree approved in June, Italy's Interior Ministry has the power to deny access to territorial waters to vessels that it considers are a risk to security or public order, and impose fines of up to 50,000 euros ($56,840).

 

"I have a strong trust in the jurisdiction of the Italian state", Rackete said, when asked if she was afraid of the consequences of her behaviour.

 

According to Sea-Watch, several fundraising campaigns have raised about 200,000 euros to support legal expenses that the crew could face.

 

"I am very sure that the Italian courts will find out that the life and the safety of the people rescued is much more important", Rackete said.

 

($1 = 0.8797 euros)

 

(Writing by Angelo Amante; Editing by Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-28

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

 

Take them back where they came from.

 

I know it seem harsh, but maybe if they dump them back on the beaches of Libya they will tell all those wanting to go to Europe how they are lucky to be alive and how many died and they will stop risking their lives. 

Europe should not be an open house to economic migrants.  I agree that they should be sent back and not allowed to land.  Refugee applications should be made in country.  It is not the problem for Italy or Malta or any other southern European state. It's an African problem.  The African States are always crowing that they are not taken seriously enough and about how advanced they are and how they are all Africans together, well let them show it by solving this problem in their own front yard.  

A clip on liveleak yesterday showed a fishing vessel towing an empty boat into position somewhere in the med & loading it to the gunwales with migrants....from inside the towing trawler!

8 minutes ago, evadgib said:

A clip on liveleak yesterday showed a fishing vessel towing an empty boat into position somewhere in the med & loading it to the gunwales with migrants....from inside the towing trawler!

Purported to show. 

 

And  from that each draw their own conclusions. 

With hindsight it wasn't  a good idea to bomb Libya and force regime change after all, or a few other places for that matter.  

They had the opportunity to go to Libya and Tunisia, but she refused that, they wanted to go to Europe. So now bring them back, they are your responsibility!

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

finding a political solution for the 42 migrants aboard her vessel

Easy, ship them back ASAP

It may seem heartless but these ships should stop picking people up.   The only way to stop the illegal people trafficking is basically to ignore it until the Libyan's and other groups stop deliberately dumping people out in the Ocean in small boats to be 'rescued' or die.  All European country's should flatly refuse to take in more migrants despite what the bleeding heart Liberals want.

 

It is now illegal for Commercial Vessel's to pick these people up and the sooner these 'Rescue Ships' stop offering their services to people traffickers the better...because that is what they are effectively doing !

Return them to where they came, maybe the message will get through that European countries are no longer a soft touch. These are economic migrants that paid thousands to get to Europe for an easy life of handouts and free housing.

As one other poster has said, European countries should force the African countries to address the problem at the grass roots.

No doubt the bleeding hearts will be along soon to condemn me as inhuman, uncaring, etc. When I see these free loaders getting all the benefits in England whilst English native people, who pay their taxes struggle makes me so angry. 

5 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

It is now illegal for Commercial Vessel's to pick these people up

I believe you're referencing the decision by the Far Right guy, Salvini, stating people found at sea should only be picked up by the Italian Navy for transfer to Libyan Coastguard. Unfortunately reality is the Libyans are handing back the people to traffickers, detained in terrible conditions and so on; more detail below. EU must urgently overturn it's decision to return people to Libya and identify a resolution whereby humans are not handed over for criminal mistreatment.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/05/eu-deal-libya-refugees-libyan-detention-centres

Doubtless because they are pi__ed off with the constant influx of unskilled, poorly educated, migrants. Still, there's always the UK. British governments don't seem to give a toss for skills or education.

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The captain of rescue ship Sea-Watch 3

"The captain of a ship used to make money from trafficking illegal migrants"

would be a more accurate description.

 

For years, this and similar vessels have been acting as taxis in the Mediterranean. It used to be that the traffickers' speedboats would take the migrants directly in view of the italian shoreline and dump them. Then they found out that it was cheaper and safer to sail only a few miles from Lybia, call the "rescue ship", and let them take the glory (and the EU money) "saving" the migrants.

Things are changing, this captain had better find a real job. As for the economic migrants, I feel for them, but the solution cannot be going to Europe.

24 minutes ago, simple1 said:

I believe you're referencing the decision by the Far Right guy, Salvini, stating people found at sea should only be picked up by the Italian Navy for transfer to Libyan Coastguard. Unfortunately reality is the Libyans are handing back the people to traffickers, detained in terrible conditions and so on; more detail below. EU must urgently overturn it's decision to return people to Libya and identify a resolution whereby humans are not handed over for criminal mistreatment.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/05/eu-deal-libya-refugees-libyan-detention-centres

Correct, it's very sad. But keeping them flowing to Europe only makes things worse - speaking of economic migrants which are the vast majority, of course the real asylum seekers are another story.

The sensible solution would be to provide funds to improve life opportunities in their own countries, provide education and health care, reduce the demographic pressure, ... but you know where 99% of the funds would go.

 

23 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

Correct, it's very sad. But keeping them flowing to Europe only makes things worse - speaking of economic migrants which are the vast majority, of course the real asylum seekers are another story.

The sensible solution would be to provide funds to improve life opportunities in their own countries, provide education and health care, reduce the demographic pressure, ... but you know where 99% of the funds would go.

 

Numbers are significantly reducing.

 

https://migration.iom.int/europe?type=arrivals

All these are part of the big game played by powerful countries. NGO's are their paid servants/agents. 

Anyways,  in this game what's sauce for the goose is definitely not sauce for the gander. The games will continue. ..

7 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Numbers are significantly reducing.

 

https://migration.iom.int/europe?type=arrivals

but not the number of illegal migrants who made the trip since decades and finally stayed, raising large families often living without working.. reason why european voters expressed their anger      

"Rescue ship's captain accuses European states of abandoning migrants"
As they were not the Europeans responsibility they were never "abandonded". Nice try by the socialist writer to politisize this and try to demonize the "Europeans"
 

They all head north. Seldom east. Funny that.

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

Numbers are significantly reducing.

 

https://migration.iom.int/europe?type=arrivals

They are reducing because Europeans are refusing to accept them, stopping the "rescue" boats. A "rescued" African illegal immigrant is still an illegal immigrant, and the place to land them safely is Africa.

The attitudes towards migrants can be 'extreme' in both ways.

 

There are those like Trump, Orban and Salvini who are anti-migrant to the degree of bigotry. And, their countries can actually easily take in a lot more migrants without major problems.

 

Then, on the other side, there is for instance Erdogan, who has, especially in the past few years, accepted millions of migrants, mainly those from Arab  countries and Afghanistan, to the point of demographically changing Turkey (that has most probably been his aim); and causing damage in many ways to the country (the damage will be clear in the years to come).

 

I think that the ideal solution lies somewhere in between.

Here's the clip; make of it what you will:

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=aFNMr_1561425585

12 minutes ago, JemJem said:

The attitudes towards migrants can be 'extreme' in both ways.

 

There are those like Trump, Orban and Salvini who are anti-migrant to the degree of bigotry. And, their countries can actually easily take in a lot more migrants without major problems.

 

Then, on the other side, there is for instance Erdogan, who has, especially in the past few years, accepted millions of migrants, mainly those from Arab  countries and Afghanistan, to the point of demographically changing Turkey (that has most probably been his aim); and causing damage in many ways to the country (the damage will be clear in the years to come).

 

I think that the ideal solution lies somewhere in between.

When Erdogan pushes for the opening of more Turkish schools in non muslim countries, I think it's a major problem.

When host countries can't give jobs to economic migrants, it's a major problem.

When host countries can't provide housing to illegal migrants it's a major problem, and so on...

It's a major problem when illegal migrants consider normal to live from social welfare.  

If things get any worse for us farang immigrants in Thailand we might be joining them. I could do with some freebies.

1 hour ago, JemJem said:

The attitudes towards migrants can be 'extreme' in both ways.

 

There are those like Trump, Orban and Salvini who are anti-migrant to the degree of bigotry. And, their countries can actually easily take in a lot more migrants without major problems.

 

Then, on the other side, there is for instance Erdogan, who has, especially in the past few years, accepted millions of migrants, mainly those from Arab  countries and Afghanistan, to the point of demographically changing Turkey (that has most probably been his aim); and causing damage in many ways to the country (the damage will be clear in the years to come).

 

I think that the ideal solution lies somewhere in between.

I cannot say about Trump, but Orban and Salvini have been elected where they are mainly because of their stance on immigration. Stating that their countries can "easily take in a lot more migrants without major problems" is something that the majority of Hungarians and Italians would find irresponsible.

 

As for Turkey, they have taken in all those migrants because of the payoffs by the EU, so that they stay away from Germany.

It is not just 42 people.  In actuality, it is millions of people. There is no end in sight. That ship is flying under Dutch flag. Why don't they bring them to Holland.

Immigration will ruin Europe. It is about time someone takes a stand to stop it. I think that Sea Watch 3 would make a good artificial reef.

7 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

With hindsight it wasn't  a good idea to bomb Libya and force regime change after all, or a few other places for that matter.  

Rats will swarm around and find the next soft spot in the weak underbelly. Now I'm not saying extermination is the answer, but one is, definitely, allowed to repel boarders....

5 hours ago, HeyHeyHey said:

Easy, ship them back ASAP

There is, indeed, a libyan vessel in place waiting to take over the 42 migrants.

5 hours ago, simple1 said:

I believe you're referencing the decision by the Far Right guy, Salvini, stating people found at sea should only be picked up by the Italian Navy for transfer to Libyan Coastguard. Unfortunately reality is the Libyans are handing back the people to traffickers, detained in terrible conditions and so on; more detail below. EU must urgently overturn it's decision to return people to Libya and identify a resolution whereby humans are not handed over for criminal mistreatment.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/05/eu-deal-libya-refugees-libyan-detention-centres

They are not RETURNED. They are stopped from committing an illegal act by the Libyan coastguard, namely the illegal entry of European waters. Anything coming to the migrants is upon their own heads, they are sufficiently warned in their home countries. I cannot be blamed for someone deliberately putting his hand in the fire, and then complain to me that it is all my fault that it hurts...

5 hours ago, evadgib said:

Here's the clip; make of it what you will:

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=aFNMr_1561425585

I heard the recent influx of migrants washing up in dinghys on the Kent coast in the UK and seeking asylum are using similar tactics. A bigger ship is taking them a few miles off shore and then leaving them to make the last mile or so on their own.