Two undocumented migrants believed to be Moroccan nationals have been reported missing after they dived into the sea on October 30 off the Tuscan port of Livorno when their presence onboard a cargo ship was discovered during an inspection.
Two undocumented Moroccan migrants were reported missing on Monday, November 3, after they threw themselves into the sea on October 30 off Italy's Livorno port (Tuscany) when their presence on board a cargo ship was discovered during an inspection by border police. Search operations for the pair continued over the weekend unsuccessfully.
The men were on the Danish ro-ro cargo ship Stena Shipper, which arrived from Africa and stopped in Tunisia prior to reaching the Tuscan port at 7 am on October 30. The pair, “believed to be Moroccan nationals, were initially seen swimming in the direction of the industrial channel” but subsequently “disappeared from view”, port authorities said in a statement released on Friday.
Undocumented migrants' discovery and attempted escape
The two men were found on board the cargo ship during an inspection by Polmare, Italy's maritime border police. They were handed over to the ship captain, who directed them to a closed cabin.
The two men nevertheless managed to flee and jumped into the waters of the port around 1:30 pm.
A search operation was set in motion with port authorities' patrol boats and naval vessels of the fire squad in the water and maritime police on the ground.
Naval transit was halted meanwhile, with the Msc Agadir stuck in port and the Eco Napoli ordered to make a detour instead of entering the port to avoid the area concerned.
The operations were rendered difficult in part because the waters of the port were muddy and filled with detritus due to heavy rain that had hit the city in the days before.
In addition, in that part of the sea, with a depth of over 15 meters, there is a strong current, and the port workers of the USB union said that the migrants may have been sucked into the blades of a ship transiting through the canal.
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Union asks if 'this is how we treat humans'
The body of one of the two men was found in the afternoon, while the other remained missing.
"Two young men dead in the Livorno port. Is this the treatment that we give human beings, while weapons are welcome?" asked port workers part of the USB union following the incident.
"Two very young men who, with hopes of a better life, had got on board a Ro-Ro ship and hid inside a semi-trailer. Once they were discovered, they were not given the possibility to ask for asylum or explain their condition," the union added.
"They were forced inside a cabin of the ship and prepared to be sent back to Tunisia, without even knowing whether that was their country. They tried to flee by forcing open the door of the cabin and they jumped into the sea. They were immediately sucked into the blades of the ship that was at that time transiting through the canal. Is this the civilization that we want to defend?" they asked.
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Correction note: An earlier version of this article said the migrants were Tunisian. They are now believed to be Moroccan.