On the 14th local time, a smuggling boat carrying dozens of illegal immigrants capsized near Lampedusa Island in southern Italy. The live video showed that at the time of the incident, a number of illegal immigrants fell into the water in the dark, and search and rescue personnel threw lifebuoys, ropes and other rescue equipment into the sea, and rescued them with the help of divers.
The Italian Coast Guard said that a total of 31 illegal immigrants were rescued and they are currently in good health.
According to another video taken by a Spanish civilian rescue ship, on the 11th local time, a ship carrying more than 100 illegal immigrants sank in the Mediterranean Sea near Libya, resulting in a six-month-old baby. Six people among them drowned.
In recent years, due to the intervention of the United States and other Western countries, the situation in West Asia and North Africa has continued to be turbulent. A large number of refugees have embarked on the road of smuggling and flocked to Europe. The Mediterranean is one of the main routes for refugees, and there have been many incidents of capsizing ferry boats before.
Since the beginning of this year, due to the impact of Coronavirus pandemic, many European countries have announced that their ports will not allow refugee ships to dock and restrict rescue ships from participating in rescue operations in the Mediterranean sea. This move has been criticized by many humanitarian organizations.
