The rescue ship Ocean Viking, operated by SOS Mediterranee, rescued 48 migrants, including predominantly unaccompanied minors, from the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday.
According to a statement by the Marseille-based aid organization, the group was packed into an overloaded small boat and consisted of 90% unaccompanied minors, primarily from The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. The rescue operation was initiated after the Ocean Viking received a notification from a NATO aircraft via VHF radio.
The survivors are now reportedly safe and resting in shelters aboard the ship. SOS Mediterranee highlighted the dire circumstances faced by these migrants, particularly those fleeing Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest and most corrupt nations.
However, the aid group criticized Italian authorities for directing the ship to disembark the migrants at Ravenna, a port 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away from the rescue site. The group condemned the practice, claiming it depletes search and rescue resources in the Mediterranean and prolongs the ordeal for the rescued individuals.
This year alone, approximately 1,985 people have died or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
