Bodies of 13 women found after migrant boat sinks in Mediterranean

[snoop1130]

Bodies of 13 women found after migrant boat sinks in Mediterranean

By Wladimiro Pantaleone

 

 

LAMPEDUSA, Italy (Reuters) - Italian coastguards recovered the bodies of 13 women who died after a crowded migrant boat capsized in heavy weather as rescue boats approached it off the coast of Lampedusa, an island south of Sicily, local authorities said on Monday.

 

The coastguard said rescue vessels had picked up 22 survivors, but they feared many other people might have died in the accident - the latest in a long line of sea disasters to hit migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean and reach Europe.

 

One of the survivors said she had lost her sister and eight-month-old niece in the tragedy.

 

The ship, which had set sail from Tunisia, had been carrying around 50 people, almost all from Tunisia and west African, the U.N. migration agency said.

 

Italian coastguards received an alert late on Sunday that a boat was in difficulty. Two rescue vessels found the ship, which was already listing, just after midnight about 6 nautical miles from the coast of Lampedusa.

 

“In order to proceed with the transfer operation, the naval units approached the small boat, but the adverse weather conditions and the sudden movement of migrants caused the vessel to overturn,” the coastguard said in a statement.

 

Coffins were lined up on the quay of the small port of Lampedusa as a coastguard ship entered harbor on Monday, bringing the bodies to shore.

 

Italian magistrates have opened an investigation into the disaster, with a magistrate from Sicily flying to Lampedusa on Monday to lead the probe.

 

Charlie Yaxley, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency, the UNHCR, said more than 1,000 people had died in the Mediterranean so far this year, most trying to cross from lawless Libya to Europe.

 

“This highlights once again that urgent action is needed to address the situation in the Mediterranean,” he said.

 

The Italian interior ministry says some 7,939 migrants have reached Italy by boat so far this year, down 63% on the same period in 2018 and 93% on 2017 levels.

 

Italy has introduced tough laws over the past year to dissuade charity rescue ships from operating in the Mediterranean in an effort to cut back on the number of possible asylum-seekers reaching the country.

 

The government has also urged both Tunisia and Libya to do more to prevent migrant boats from setting sail.

 

Over the past 18 months, the largest number of migrants entering Italy have come from Tunisia, a change from previous years when the new arrivals came mainly from sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 7, the interior ministry said 2,232 Tunisians had reached Italy by boat. The next largest group by nationality, were Pakistanis, with 997 making the crossing, followed by migrants from the Ivory Coast, who totaled 867.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-07

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[Scott]

Troll post removed.  

 

[Mick501]

Horrible stuff.  This blood is on the hands of Merkel and others who encourage these dangerous voyages.

[4737 Carlin]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Italian coastguards recovered the bodies of 13 women

It's unusual to see any women on these boats. It's usually young men fleeing poverty, not war.

[Saint Nick]

2 posts in and we are already at 100% inhumane <deleted>!

Well done TVF!

 

 

[stevenl]

16 minutes ago, 4737 Carlin said:

It's unusual to see any women on these boats. It's usually young men fleeing poverty, not war.

Did nyou ever consider the possibility that your perceived knowledge about this is wrong?

1 minute ago, Saint Nick said:

2 posts in and we are already at 100% inhumane <deleted>!

Well done TVF!

 

 

Only because an even worse post has been deleted. It was a lot wprse.

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, Mick501 said:

Horrible stuff.  This blood is on the hands of Merkel and others who encourage these dangerous voyages.

 

No it's not. People choose to pay criminals to help them break laws to illegally enter another country where they hope to be given lots of free things and made welcome to stay and be looked after. And then bring over extended families.

 

In doing so they take their chances and are responsible for their own decisions.

 

They should be staying in their home countries and working to change for the better.

[Sujo]

Its a sad world when people are so in despair the risk their lives to get away. Its an even sadder world when some blame them for it.

[el torro]

1 hour ago, 4737 Carlin said:

It's unusual to see any women on these boats. It's usually young men fleeing poverty, not war.

As the article states:

 

"The ship, which had set sail from Tunisia, had been carrying around 50 people, almost all from Tunisia and west African, the U.N. migration agency said."

 

But of course, the headline was about 13 women.

[el torro]

1 minute ago, Sujo said:

Its a sad world when people are so in despair the risk their lives to get away. Its an even sadder world when some blame them for it.

I agree to a certain extent - but the majority are economic migrants, and the countries to which they 'flee' have their own poor - that need more consideration than the economic migrants IMO.

[Bruntoid]

20 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No it's not. People choose to pay criminals to help them break laws to illegally enter another country where they hope to be given lots of free things and made welcome to stay and be looked after. And then bring over extended families.

 

In doing so they take their chances and are responsible for their own decisions.

 

They should be staying in their home countries and working to change for the better.

How many refugees have you spoken to ? 

[nauseus]

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No it's not. People choose to pay criminals to help them break laws to illegally enter another country where they hope to be given lots of free things and made welcome to stay and be looked after. And then bring over extended families.

 

In doing so they take their chances and are responsible for their own decisions.

The blame has to be split. This has been going on for at least three decades in the Libyan area. Yes, the organised people smugglers are paid and bring people from all over sub-Saharan Africa to the coast, then give them a large rubber boat and send them off. Lampedusa is the southernmost part of Europe because it belongs to Italy and it is relatively close to Libya.

 

The migrants make, and are responsible for their decisions, if they can afford to try but the smugglers facilitate the travel and are evil profiteers. People like Merkel, who encouraged this stupidity in 2015, just increase the amount of people coming and so increase the number of deaths and misery. It is all very sad. News like this is more likely at this time of year, when the weather deteriorates and the sea is often quite surprisingly rough. 

 

  

[jany123]

4 hours ago, Mick501 said:

Horrible stuff.  This blood is on the hands of Merkel and others who encourage these dangerous voyages.

It’s absolutely disgusting that anyone should put blame on those offering sanctuary... offering help... offering hope.

 

Do you seriously not include the people’s in power in the countries of origin that provide little security and assistance to the disenfranchised, when making such grossly repugnant comments?

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No it's not. People choose to pay criminals to help them break laws to illegally enter another country where they hope to be given lots of free things and made welcome to stay and be looked after. And then bring over extended families.

 

In doing so they take their chances and are responsible for their own decisions.

 

They should be staying in their home countries and working to change for the better.

Said without an iota of introspection.

[khunken]

3 hours ago, nauseus said:

The blame has to be split. This has been going on for at least three decades in the Libyan area. Yes, the organised people smugglers are paid and bring people from all over sub-Saharan Africa to the coast, then give them a large rubber boat and send them off. Lampedusa is the southernmost part of Europe because it belongs to Italy and it is relatively close to Libya.

 

The migrants make, and are responsible for their decisions, if they can afford to try but the smugglers facilitate the travel and are evil profiteers. People like Merkel, who encouraged this stupidity in 2015, just increase the amount of people coming and so increase the number of deaths and misery. It is all very sad. News like this is more likely at this time of year, when the weather deteriorates and the sea is often quite surprisingly rough. 

 

  

First, this has not been going on for 3 decades in the Libyan area. It was triggered by the US, UK & France (main culprits) destroying the Libyan government of Ghaddafi thereby opening the door (removing the cork from the bottle as he said) to huge swathes of migrants & refugees departing for Europe. Yes Lampedusa was & still is the nearest land to Libya.

 

Second, Merkel did not cause any part of the problem, she had to deal with the effect which was Lampedusa being unable to cope with over half a million migrants & refugees arriving in a relatively short period of time. She did what any half-decent person would do - help Italy with its problem.

 

If you are from the UK, which your avatar implies, your government with its neverending lapdogging to the US, has a major share of the blame for the destruction of Libya & the subsequent exodus of over half a million Africans & a number of Asian hangers-on too.

 

 

 

[pacovl46]

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No it's not. People choose to pay criminals to help them break laws to illegally enter another country where they hope to be given lots of free things and made welcome to stay and be looked after. And then bring over extended families.

 

In doing so they take their chances and are responsible for their own decisions.

 

They should be staying in their home countries and working to change for the better.

That's so easy for you to say from your comfortable armchair!

[nauseus]

6 minutes ago, khunken said:

First, this has not been going on for 3 decades in the Libyan area. It was triggered by the US, UK & France (main culprits) destroying the Libyan government of Ghaddafi thereby opening the door (removing the cork from the bottle as he said) to huge swathes of migrants & refugees departing for Europe. Yes Lampedusa was & still is the nearest land to Libya.

 

Second, Merkel did not cause any part of the problem, she had to deal with the effect which was Lampedusa being unable to cope with over half a million migrants & refugees arriving in a relatively short period of time. She did what any half-decent person would do - help Italy with its problem.

 

If you are from the UK, which your avatar implies, your government with its neverending lapdogging to the US, has a major share of the blame for the destruction of Libya & the subsequent exodus of over half a million Africans & a number of Asian hangers-on too.

 

 

 

It has been going on for at least 3 decades in Lampedusa and these people are mainly economic migrants from Africa; this was definitely going on when Gaddafi was in power. The idiotic coalition strikes and the end of Gaddafi did result in new smuggling opportunities and higher numbers of migrants. 

 

The Merkel "invitation" mainly resulted in the rapid and huge influx into Greece by (mostly) Syrians via Turkey; many of these are the real refugees but smugglers have included migrants from elsewhere who can also pay. 

 

Yes I am British but I don't agree with the actions of the UK governments in Libya and Iraq, except that in the case of Iraq, I think they should have gone in all the way with the US a.s.a.p. after the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and kicked Saddam out then and there. 

 

 

[pacovl46]

30 minutes ago, khunken said:

First, this has not been going on for 3 decades in the Libyan area. It was triggered by the US, UK & France (main culprits) destroying the Libyan government of Ghaddafi thereby opening the door (removing the cork from the bottle as he said) to huge swathes of migrants & refugees departing for Europe. Yes Lampedusa was & still is the nearest land to Libya.

 

Second, Merkel did not cause any part of the problem, she had to deal with the effect which was Lampedusa being unable to cope with over half a million migrants & refugees arriving in a relatively short period of time. She did what any half-decent person would do - help Italy with its problem.

 

If you are from the UK, which your avatar implies, your government with its neverending lapdogging to the US, has a major share of the blame for the destruction of Libya & the subsequent exodus of over half a million Africans & a number of Asian hangers-on too.

 

 

 

The only reason we're having this issue at all is because the Americans think they have to play war wherever they please. 

[khunken]

1 minute ago, nauseus said:

It has been going on for at least 3 decades in Lampedusa and these people are mainly economic migrants from Africa; this was definitely going on when Gaddafi was in power. The idiotic coalition strikes and the end of Gaddafi did result in new smuggling opportunities and higher numbers of migrants. 

 

The Merkel "invitation" mainly resulted in the rapid and huge influx into Greece by (mostly) Syrians via Turkey; many of these are the real refugees but smugglers have included migrants from elsewhere who can also pay. 

 

Yes I am British but I don't agree with the actions of the UK governments in Libya and Iraq, except that in the case of Iraq, I think they should have gone in all the way with the US a.s.a.p. after the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and kicked Saddam out then and there. 

 

 

OK there may have been a small number of escapees fleeing Libya during Ghaddafi's rule but this has nothing to do with your attempt to blame Merkel for what happened after Libya's destruction.

 

Additionally there was no Merkel 'invitation' to those arriving in Greece. Once again Greece, as with Italy, couldn't cope with the influx and needed to be helped out, especially when some of its neighbours wouldn't lift a finger, shutting their borders instead.

 

It's a pity that you have to scapegoat Merkel who dealt with the effect of US/UK's disastrous interference (the actual cause) in the region. I strongly suspect that your Brexit attitude fuels your attempt to blame an EU leader for your own country's ills.

[Saint Nick]

..and with the devastating consequences of climate change, the situation will get worse!

MUCH WORSE!

Europe...America...the days of your powerplays and money grabbing on the African -continent are over!

Your (post) colonial policies are now biting you in the behind!

 

[otherstuff1957]

Women from 3rd world countries are much less likely to know how to swim than men.  Unfortunately, these overcrowded boats seem to capsize frequently.  The non-swimmers aboard are usually doomed.

[nauseus]

8 minutes ago, khunken said:

OK there may have been a small number of escapees fleeing Libya during Ghaddafi's rule but this has nothing to do with your attempt to blame Merkel for what happened after Libya's destruction.

 

Additionally there was no Merkel 'invitation' to those arriving in Greece. Once again Greece, as with Italy, couldn't cope with the influx and needed to be helped out, especially when some of its neighbours wouldn't lift a finger, shutting their borders instead.

 

It's a pity that you have to scapegoat Merkel who dealt with the effect of US/UK's disastrous interference (the actual cause) in the region. I strongly suspect that your Brexit attitude fuels your attempt to blame an EU leader for your own country's ills.

Read the linked report:

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/182137/e96761.pdf?ua=1

 

Between 2003 - 2008 nearly 100,000 into Lampedusa through Libya. Some of them went into Tunisia from there before they got into the little boats. If that's a small number then what's a big one?

 

I mentioned that the blame should be split but Merkel's 2015 "open door" policy resulted into a surge into Greece and more deaths. 

 

My Brexit "attitude", whatever that is, has little to do with any of this. 

[marqus]

6 hours ago, Mick501 said:

Horrible stuff.  This blood is on the hands of Merkel and others who encourage these dangerous voyages.

1. Subsidizing agriculture, especially in the EU
deepens poverty and prevents economic development in Africa.

2. Arab spring and the bombing of Gaddafi and getting rid of Hussein and others

who were sadists and psychopaths but they kept their countries with a strong hand

and there was some basic order.( The US and others job in destabilizing the entire region.)

3."Refugees welcome" German responsibility because they wanted cheap labor.

4.EU equals 50% of world social payments.

[khunken]

8 minutes ago, nauseus said:

Read the linked report:

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/182137/e96761.pdf?ua=1

 

Between 2003 - 2008 nearly 100,000 into Lampedusa through Libya. Some of them went into Tunisia from there before they got into the little boats. If that's a small number then what's a big one?

 

I mentioned that the blame should be split but Merkel's 2015 "open door" policy resulted into a surge into Greece and more deaths. 

 

My Brexit "attitude", whatever that is, has little to do with any of this. 

Thanks for the PDF. Fair enough you are right that the flow of refugees & migrants before Libya's destruction was higher than Lampedusa could handle. However there was an agreement with Libya in that they would intercept the boats and return them to Libya. This did work for a short time before the floodgates were opened by the bombing of Libya and Ghaddafi's death.

Merkel's 'open door' or 'invitation' did NOT result in a surge of refugees & migrants into Greece. A large number of those were allowed to stream across from Turkey before the EU reached a temporary deal with Turkey which is still in effect.

All of this blaming (scapegoating) Merkel has a root. Whether it's Brexit or just plain hatred, only you know, but I for one will not let you get away with it, especially as Merkel was the main leader left with clearing up others' collateral damage.

[ivor bigun]

I have little sympathy,when they can just turn up in Europe and just claim asylum and stay ,while pensioners cannot take their wives back because they dont get 18600 pounds a year.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[nauseus]

2 minutes ago, khunken said:

Thanks for the PDF. Fair enough you are right that the flow of refugees & migrants before Libya's destruction was higher than Lampedusa could handle. However there was an agreement with Libya in that they would intercept the boats and return them to Libya. This did work for a short time before the floodgates were opened by the bombing of Libya and Ghaddafi's death.

Merkel's 'open door' or 'invitation' did NOT result in a surge of refugees & migrants into Greece. A large number of those were allowed to stream across from Turkey before the EU reached a temporary deal with Turkey which is still in effect.

All of this blaming (scapegoating) Merkel has a root. Whether it's Brexit or just plain hatred, only you know, but I for one will not let you get away with it, especially as Merkel was the main leader left with clearing up others' collateral damage.

I disagree about Merkel although I will say again that I do not blame her any more than the USA/Europe military actions or the people smugglers. Merkel's real reasons are not proven but she did not understand or seem to care about the consequences of this "open door" policy. A big problem is that she was pretty quickly wanting other countries to adopt these consequences and take in hundreds of thousands of these refugees and migrants. And you might consider that the German military was operationally active in Syria.

 

Blame is not the same thing as hate.

 

 

[khunken]

4 minutes ago, nauseus said:

I disagree about Merkel although I will say again that I do not blame her any more than the USA/Europe military actions or the people smugglers. Merkel's real reasons are not proven but she did not understand or seem to care about the consequences of this "open door" policy. A big problem is that she was pretty quickly wanting other countries to adopt these consequences and take in hundreds of thousands of these refugees and migrants. And you might consider that the German military was operationally active in Syria.

 

Blame is not the same thing as hate.

 

 

Yes blame is not the same as hate. But unjustified blame comes from something & it's not fairness or logical thinking.

 

It is not difficult to understand Merkel's reasons for taking the bulk of the refugees/migrants. Others were refusing to help (particularly Hungary & Poland & Austria), Italy & Greece had a crisis and the arrivals had to be humanely catered for. No wonder she did her best to persuade other countries to play their part of sharing the solution, however temporary it was.

Germany is a member of NATO which was the organisation involved in all the invasions & bombings except for Iraq. That doesn't mean they just wash their hands (like the UK did) in dealing with any outflow resulting from military intervention.

[Chomper Higgot]

49 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

I have little sympathy,when they can just turn up in Europe and just claim asylum and stay ,while pensioners cannot take their wives back because they dont get 18600 pounds a year.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

The reason pensioners, actually any British citizen with an income below £18600/year married to a foreigner, can’t bring their spouse back to the UK is because the government changed the law to make this so in response to calls to control immigration.

 

wrt ‘they can’t just turn up in Europe and claim asylum’, you are wrong, they can.

[marqus]

10 hours ago, khunken said:

is not difficult to understand Merkel's reasons for taking the bulk of the refugees/migrants. Others were refusing to help (particularly Hungary & Poland & Austria

The idea was for the Germans to take educated "refugees" and mentally stable to perform low-paid jobs.  Basically, choose the useful ones And send all the rest to other countries.

No sane government would agree to such generous "gifts" !

[nauseus]

1 hour ago, khunken said:

Yes blame is not the same as hate. But unjustified blame comes from something & it's not fairness or logical thinking.

 

It is not difficult to understand Merkel's reasons for taking the bulk of the refugees/migrants. Others were refusing to help (particularly Hungary & Poland & Austria), Italy & Greece had a crisis and the arrivals had to be humanely catered for. No wonder she did her best to persuade other countries to play their part of sharing the solution, however temporary it was.

Germany is a member of NATO which was the organisation involved in all the invasions & bombings except for Iraq. That doesn't mean they just wash their hands (like the UK did) in dealing with any outflow resulting from military intervention.

The kickback by countries like Hungary came only after Merkel opened the doors and I don't think that her reasons for doing that were all necessarily as compassionate as you probably do. She tried using German influence over the EU to try cover her errors and that's what I really don't like.