Rescued In Safe Harbor After Days Of Waiting

December 20,2021

After the rescue ship RISE ABOVE of MISSION LIFELINE e.V. rescued 66 people from a shipwreck in the Maltese SAR zone on December 16 at 18:33, the Italian authorities assigned Porto Empedocle on Sicily as a safe port after 3 days. The RISE ABOVE then docked in the port of Porto Empedocle at 6:44 p.m. on Dec. 19. MISSION LIFELINE is now awaiting the disembarkation of the rescued.

Axel Steier, Spokesperson of MISSION LIFELINE:„Actually, Malta would have been responsible for coordinating the operation and assigning us a safe port. But Malta did not react to our messages at any time. The fact that it then takes three days until a safe port is allocated in the face of approaching bad weather shows that European states are still incapable of coordinating quickly.“

MISSION LIFELINE urges the new federal government to translate its election campaign announcements into action.

Axel Steier:„The German Federal Republic could easily assure Italy and Malta that it would take in all those rescued by German ships as long as the unacceptable Dublin regulation is not abolished. Under the current regulations, Germany’s position in Europe means that the countries at the external borders have to bear the heaviest burden. So far, this has led to delays in disembarkation. A longer stay of the rescued persons on board our ship is anything but helpful for the physical and psychological condition of the rescued persons.”
Video: Crew informs the rescued

Credits: Danilo Campailla