Spanish and Libyan authorities have started talks to bring back to the North African country 12 migrants rescued in international waters on November 22, while NGOs oppose their return to Libya.
The Spanish government is negotiating with Libyan authorities to take back to Libya 12 migrants who were rescued in international waters by fishing vessel 'Nuestra Madre de Loreto' on November 22. The report was confirmed by a spokesman of the deputy presidency, quoted by El Pais, who said the Spanish government, abiding by international law, considers the closest port as the safest.
However, migrant rescue organizations, including the NGO Proactiva Open Arms, which on Saturday reached the fishing vessel to help, oppose the return of the migrants to Libyan ports, which are considered by UN refugee agency UNHCR and by the European Union as unsafe.
Rescue operation last Thursday
After the migrants were rescued, Pascual Dura, the captain of the vessel which flies the Spanish flag and is based in Santa Pola, Alicante, in a radio interview said his the crew is overwhelmed by the emergency on board, which ''has lasted too long''. He said thigs could get worse, ''given the thunderstorms forecast'', while migrants on board ''don't want to hear about returning to Libya'', where many say they endured abuse and violence.
The 12 migrants hail from Nigeria, Sudan, Senegal and Mali and include two 16-year-olds who were rescued south of the Ionian sea, 80 miles from Libya, at 8 pm local time last Thursday. When they saw a Libyan cutter drawing closer, the migrants on the boat jumped into the water while at least three others climbed on the fishing boat that had approached them in the meantime to help. Riccardo Gatto, head of the mission of Proactiva Open Arms, said they ''are well, we treated some wounded and gave them blankets and food'', newspaper El Diario reports.
Open Arms, 'Libya is not a safe place'
Gatti was quoted as saying that ''in the event that migrants are taken back to Libya, Spain would violate the Geneva convention'' and international conventions on rescue operations, based on which people who are rescued need to be transferred to a safe place as soon as possible. ''Libya isn't'' a safe place, Gatti said. The captain of the fishing vessel, which navigates some 100 miles from Tripoli and 120 miles from Malta, has acknowledged that the crew ''is a little scared'' by the threats of migrants to dive into the sea and let themselves drown to death rather than return to Libya.
"The ports of Italy and Malta are closed to us and this is the only way out they are considering," assured Pascual Durà, quoted by El Pais. ''We talk about brotherhood among Europeans, but Italy and Malta have shown very scarce comprehension while Spain does what it can," he added. However, the order received by the captain from Spanish authorities is to ''wait for a Libyan patrol boat that will come take the migrants."
"Our worst fear - warned the captain - is that there could be an uprising on board when they see Libyan authorities."