Update: Maersk Etienne- stranded at sea after rescuing migrants
On Monday, Sep 7, three of the migrants rescued about a month ago by Maersk Etienne jumped overboard. This incident emphasizes the urgency of the situation. The captain and crew quickly implemented recovery procedures and the three persons have now been rescued and brought back on board the vessel where they are being cared for.
The month-long refusal by Malta and other countries to permit a tanker from a major global company like Maersk to dock mirrors a heightening in hardline strategies utilized against migrants.
There’s an undeniably new pattern rising up out of front line migrant route countries like Italy and Malta: humanitarian vessels are often denied consent to discharge rescued refugees.
Laws outlined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) dictate that vessels near a boat in distress have an obligation to respond, with the Mediterranean bearing no such exceptions. The salvaged persons are then to be discharged at a nearby port in order for the vessel to be able to resume its voyage.
Source: Fleetmon
Author: Bernice Noi Tetteh
