Mediterranean: 54 migrants rescued from oil platform

On June 8th, over 50 migrants heading toward the Italian island of Lampedusa were rescued from an abandoned oil platform off Libya, in the Mediterranean. According to The New Arab, one woman even gave birth.

The Spain-based NGO Open Arms announced it had rescued 54 migrants overnight with its charity ship Astral. The group had been stranded on the oil platform since June 5th, after their rubber boat shipwrecked following their departure from Libya on June 3rd. It’s not uncommon for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to end up seeking refuge on offshore platforms, as overcrowded and leaky boats often fail mid-journey.

During the crossing, one woman gave birth aboard the rubber boat, while another delivered her baby on the oil platform. Two other young children were also among the group.

After completing the initial operation, Astral went on to rescue an additional 109 people, including four found in the water. This second group included ten children, all departing from Libya. The NGO distributed life jackets while waiting for another charity ship, the Louise Michel, to transfer the migrants onboard. The Louise Michel — a former French navy vessel sponsored by the artist Banksy — was tasked with transporting the rescued group to a safe Sicilian port.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 23,000 migrants had reached Italy via the Mediterranean as of June 1st this year.

The New Arab, Maghrebi.org