Another body has been sighted off the coast of Libya, following the recovery of 11 migrant bodies by a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) rescue ship in the same region of the Mediterranean Sea. The MSF vessel also successfully rescued over 160 individuals from precarious boats.
Sea Watch, a non-profit organization based in Germany, reported on social media that their aircraft spotted the additional corpse on Saturday. They had previously identified 11 bodies during their reconnaissance flight.
The central Mediterranean route has proven perilous, with the United Nations recording over 20,000 deaths and disappearances since 2014, making it the deadliest migrant crossing globally.
MSF’s Geo Barents search and rescue vessel conducted two operations, saving 146 migrants, and later encountered another boat carrying 20 more individuals. Tragically, they also recovered the bodies of 11 deceased individuals spotted by the Sea Watch plane.
While the precise cause of this tragedy remains unknown, MSF emphasized the urgency of ending these deadly journeys in search of safety.
According to Italian media reports, the 11 bodies are to be transferred to an Italian coast guard ship and temporarily disembarked on the island of Lampedusa.
Italy has called upon Tunisia and Libya to intensify efforts to prevent migrants from embarking on perilous sea voyages. Additionally, Italy has tightened regulations on rescue operations, citing concerns that they incentivize migration to Europe, a claim refuted by humanitarian organizations.
In a demonstration of these tightened regulations, Italy directed the Geo Barents to transport its recent group of migrants to the northern port of Genova, a journey of over 650 nautical miles, rather than to the closer ports in Sicily. This decision has raised concerns about delays in providing assistance to the survivors, who have already endured significant hardships.
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