Dozens of migrants stranded at sea as they await EU port entry

Dozens of migrants, including five children are stranded at sea with no European country offering a safe port.

A vessel run by a German humanitarian group, The Sea-Watch 3, rescued 32 people from an unsafe boat off the Coast of Libya on December 22.

Another German charity, Sea-Eye also rescued 17 others a week later.

‘‘There’s no sleeping because of the waves. We are dying slowly in this place, we are dying slowly in this place because it is what we didn’t expect”, said Nigerian migrant, Diamond.

“We are not okay, we really need the European help, the U.N. we really need your help”, laments another Nigerian migrant, Emmanuel.

The vessel with 49 people aboard has been sailing back and forth the Coast of Malta for days.

Kim Heaton-Heather is head of Sea- Watch Mission.

‘‘Everyone is trying to get rid of their responsibility. That is absolutely deplorable but at the same time I understand the position of these countries because they are trying to get rid of the responsibility because not everyone is taking responsibility and that is a huge failing for Europe. A massive failing for Europe”, he said.

Malta, the smallest European Union member state, is asking partners to take in some of the migrants, including another 249 people who were picked up by Maltese navy boats in the final week of 2018.

Italy shuts its port to migrant-rescue ships last June.

Two dozen humanitarian groups, including Save the Children on Tuesday asked for an urgent meeting with the Italian Prime Minister in an attempt to end the stand off at sea.

Reuters