Rescue of Hundreds of Refugees on the Italian Coast
Nearly two weeks after a boat carrying 150 refugees sank off the southern coast of Italy, resulting in the death of 73 people, on the evening of Friday, March 10th, the Italian Coast Guard escorted a dilapidated ship carrying 500 refugees, mostly Afghan citizens, to the port of the city of Crotone, located in southern Italy.
During this operation, an Italian Navy ship also assisted the Coast Guard. Among the rescued refugees, there were a number of women and children.
Roberto Occhiuto, the president of the Calabria region of Italy, which is composed of five provinces, stated that according to a report from Frontex, the European Union’s border agency, a total of 1,300 people are moving towards the Italian coast on three boats and warned that these boats may encounter problems.