Migrants saved in one of the first rescue operations in the Mediterranean since hundreds of people died when a boat sank off the Greek coast, say nothing could deter them from trying to reach Europe. They spoke to the BBC's Alice Cuddy - on board a rescue vessel patrolling the sea for migrant boats in distress.

 

As the giant red and white rescue ship sails across an expanse of Mediterranean Sea, the horizon is interrupted by the sight of a dark blue inflatable boat, crammed with bobbing heads.

Rescue workers from the charity SOS Mediterranée don helmets and life jackets as they race to the scene in speedboats. They quickly pull the migrants on board the vessels one by one, counting as they go.

The boys and young men, most from The Gambia, have been at sea for 15 hours and have made it 54 nautical miles from the Libyan town of Castelverde, near Tripoli. They are in a state of distress.

Some later tell me that shortly before rescuers arrived, a fight had almost broken out on board the over-packed boat. Some were determined to keep going, while others were begging to give up and try again later. One dropped his phone in the sea in the melee.

 

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3 hours ago, Social Media said:

One dropped his phone in the sea in the melee.

What's the betting he will have one within hours of being landed wherever the rescue boat lands him?

Off-topic post and reply removed.

 

Back to Africa with them. They can tell all their friends that illegal immigration is not allowed.  They can also have the joy of telling the human traffickers they employed that they will not be getting any more business. 

Were they coming to join the riots against the native Europeans, too?

We should follow Tunisia's example.