Distressed migrants left without navigation equipment

About 64 migrants journeying from Libya have been reportedly left on sea without the necessary rescue or navigation equipment.

SOS Humanity (International) made the allegation while sharing information about how it came to the rescue of the embattled migrants.

It said: “This afternoon, our crew spotted an overcrowded, unseaworthy wooden boat in distress during the look-out. None of the 64 people on board was wearing a lifejacket.

“Our crew informed the relevant authorities as well as the Libyan RCC, who only responded in Arabic. While the crew was initiating rescue operations, a patrol boat from the so-called Libyan Coast Guard stayed several nms away and did not try to contact us.”

Less than an hour later, SOS Humanity said, all the survivors – among them also infants – were brought on board the #Humanity1. “They had set off from Libya this morning and spent the whole day at sea without the necessary rescue or navigation equipment.”

Nevertheless, it added that “they are denied disembarkation as quickly as possible. The Italian authorities assigned the Humanity 1 the distant port of Marina di Carrara 1,200 kilometres away in the north of Italy.”