Spanish charity rescues 54 migrants in central Mediterranean

Volunteers from the Spanish charity Proactiva Open Arms rescued 54 migrants stranded on a rubber dinghy in the central Mediterranean Sea near the Italian island of Lampedusa on Tuesday, a Reuters witness reported.

The rescued individuals were primarily Syrian nationals and were later transported to Lampedusa by the Italian Coast Guard.

The central Mediterranean remains one of the deadliest routes for migrants seeking asylum in Europe. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, over 3,100 people died or went missing last year while attempting this perilous journey.

In the past four days alone, Open Arms has rescued a total of 383 people. On Monday, their search-and-rescue vessel, Astral, assisted 110 individuals aboard an overcrowded wooden barge. The group included six women, four children, two elderly men, and one person with disabilities.

Esther Camps, the mission coordinator aboard Astral, noted an increase in the use of makeshift iron boats, which are likely hand-welded in Tunisia. She suggested this trend might be linked to Tunisia’s stricter anti-immigration policies, prompting many migrants from sub-Saharan Africa to flee.

A Reuters photo captured a rusty iron vessel that appeared to be split in two, held together by hinges. Camps explained that it was the first time they had encountered such a boat and initially feared it would sink. “It wasn’t broken but rather a new type of construction,” she said, adding that this design might be intended to facilitate discreet transport both on land and at sea.

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