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Every day, hundreds of refugees try to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean. Many die as a result. Because the route over the water is risky. The migrants often travel in small rubber boats. Sometimes they float on the open sea for days. When they encounter other ships, they usually try to help them. But help is not always wanted. This was evident from an event on Monday evening.
Dutch ship rescues about 80 migrants
The Dutch ship “Vos Pace” was traveling in the Atlantic Ocean when the crew encountered a shaky boat with dozens of migrants. As the Spanish news agency EFE reports, citing the police, an emergency situation allegedly occurred on the migrant boat. To save lives, the crew decided to take her in.
According to the AD, the rescue operation took place in the area of the Moroccan maritime rescue service. The captain informed the coordination center in the Moroccan capital Rabat. There he was given the task of taking the people to the port of Tan Tan (Morocco). The captain followed the instructions and saw a second boat heading for Morocco. He also recorded the people on this boat.
Captain wants to take them back to Morocco
When the captain subsequently announced that he was going to Morocco, a conflict arose. Because: The migrants did not want to return to Morocco, their destination was the Canary Islands, about 100 kilometers away. These belong to Spain and therefore to the European Union. If they end up there, they can apply for political asylum in Europe.
However, if the migrants are returned to Morocco, their efforts will be in vain. Many of them pay large sums of money to be taken across the sea by smugglers. They often come from different countries. Some of them have had a long journey.
Migrants threaten the crew
The situation eventually escalated at the “Vos Pace”. Nine migrants lost their cool when they heard they would not be taken to the Canary Islands. They threatened the twelve-man crew with knives and tried to overpower the Dutch.
Because there was a danger of being captured, the captain finally decided to change course to Fuerteventura (S). The captain handed over the nine migrants who were attacked to the Guardia Civil on suspicion of mutiny. Spanish authorities are now caring for the remaining migrants.
The incident was traumatizing for the crew, a spokesperson for the Breda shipping company Vroon, which owned the ship, told the AD. “It is not easy to get 80 people out of the sea. This causes a lot of stress and panic. What happened there should not be underestimated.” He calls the incident a ‘great tragedy’. (Mrs)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
