A rescue operation conducted by the Tunisian Navy “with the support of the commercial ship Maridive 601” allowed 178 migrants to be brought back to safety in Zarzis in Tunisia. He told theAnsa the head of the Tunisian Red Crescent in Medenine, Mongi Slim, adding that two bodies were found. Volunteers from the Tunisian Red Crescent are at the port of El Keft to guarantee assistance to migrants, who will then be transferred to a hotel in Djerba for quarantine. The nationalities of the rescued migrants are varied, from Bangladesh to Egypt to Eritrea, and even a Tunisian, but the identification operations are still ongoing.
In a tweet, the NGO Alarm Phone, however, spoke of “rejection” and not of “rescue”. Yesterday he reported the emergency by writing “another boat in danger in international waters! We have been alerted by another 100 people in danger who ask for immediate help! Risk of shipwreck! The freighter # Maridive601 is near and should intervene!”. According to the reconstruction of the NGO, Maridive601 was monitoring the boat but did not help it. “Why?” the NGO asks again, reiterating that “Tunisia is NOT a safe haven”: “The 100 people in danger at sea last night were rejected towards Tunisia “.
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