Nine desperate souls were found inside a refrigerated lorry on a catamaran ferry approaching the Port of Pozzallo on Thursday. The men were found by undercover police alerted to their presence by noises coming from inside the lorry. The men, who are thought to have come from India, received their statutory medical checks on board the catamaran and therefore never set foot on Italian soil. Once declared fit, they were sent back to Malta, from where they will presumably be repatriated. [Source: Il Giornale di Sicilia. Not available online.]
There have been many tensions between Malta and Italy regarding who should take responsibility for illegal would-be immigrants rescued from the Sicilian Channel. There have recently been talks between Sicilian and Maltese authorities to try to resolve the situation. Taking a doctor to the ship, instead of detaining the men on Italian soil for a medical check represents a new effort by Italy to keep one step ahead of those who organise such " voyages of hope" [which all too often turn into voyages of despair and tragedy].
How long will it be before this particular group tries again?
Update: La Sicilia Online is reporting that a dinghy carrying 44 Somali clandestini, two of whom are women, docked at Marsascala, Malta during last night. This group departed from Libya four days ago and they claim to have thrown the body of one man, who died of dehydration, into the sea. The Maltese Navy is searching for the body. The survivors have been taken to the Safi Detention Centre in Malta.
4 comments:
It always sad to see people so desperate to risks their lives in such away to flee from their country.
Very sorry to hear this. Thank you for bringing it to our attention! Unfortunately it seems like this happens all over the world.
Quite nice to be refrigerated in your heatwave
Hi, Cherie. Yes, so sad. Hi, Rochambeau. Yes, it's a sad scenario everywhere. Not in those circumstances, WW!
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