Malta Responds to Boat Capsizing Off Coast, Recovers Ten Bodies

Italian Coast Guard Recovers Bodies from Mediterranean Sea Incident

A boat carrying nearly 60 refugees and migrants capsized near Malta on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 individuals. The Italian coastguard responded immediately to the incident, dispatching a patrol boat to the area where they recovered 10 bodies.

According to the Maltese authorities, search operations are ongoing, coordinated by the coast guard. The incident is part of a series of boat wrecks in the Mediterranean this year, with at least 990 people reported dead attempting to cross the sea.

The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) has confirmed that this year’s beginning has been among the deadliest in the Mediterranean since 2014. Last year, at least 2,180 people died or went missing while attempting to reach Europe.

European Union politicians and member states have agreed on a new set of rules allowing governments to deport asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected to third countries. The proposed framework would establish “return hubs” outside the EU, but details on their location remain unclear.

Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the UN refugee agency’s headquarters in Tripoli, Libya, expressing concerns about the agency’s work with undocumented migrants. Protesters held signs reading “Our love for our country is not racism” and “Libya is not the world’s garbage bin”. The UN agency in Libya has warned about the spread of “misleading information and hate speech”, which it says contributes to increased tensions and incitement against its officials.

The incident highlights the ongoing risks faced by refugees and migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea.

Source: Al Jazeera