ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – NUESTRA MADRE LORETO ignores Spanish Government – 01.12.2018

NUESTRA MADRE LORETO, the Spanish Fishing Vessel with 11 rescued immigrants onboard is heading to Spain after spending 10 days blocked in the Mediterranean as reported on Twitter Oscar Camps, Founder of Proactiva Open Arms NGO.

Hours earlier,Libya had accepted through diplomatic channels to take care of the migrants and from the Spanish Government this had been the recommendation given to the captain of the fishing vessel despite the fact that international organizations for the defense of human rights had warned Spain and the the rest of the European countries that would make these migrants return to Libya would violate international law , since this country is not considered a safe harbor.

Asked by Pedro Sánchez at the G-20 Summit, “why is it that the Aquarius was not worth it for this fishing vessel?”, The Prime Minister stressed that “there was no safe harbor, a nearby port, and now there is, ” according to Cristina García Casado.

“I want to remember several things, all and when I say all I mean not only the Government of Spain but also citizens and private boats, we are all subject to international and community law, and they are clear, in cases like these what you have to do is go to a nearby port, the closest and safest, and right now there is that possibility, “he said from Buenos Aires.

The spokesman of the Libyan Coast Guard , Colonel Ayoub Qassem , explained that his country has given its consent for humanitarian reasons and “in recognition of the work of Spain and its cooperation in the given formation to this body. ”

International organizations such as Proactiva Open Arms, Doctors Without Borders and Amnesty International have warned Spain and the rest of the European countries that returning these migrants to Libya would violate international law, since Libya is not considered a safe haven.

“Under no circumstances should they be returned to Libya, where they would face arbitrary detention and possibly torture and other abuses.” said Matteo de Bellis, Researcher on Asylum and Migration at Amnesty International.

Last weekend, around thirty migrants left the Libyan port of Khoms in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean. Their boat was approached by the Libyan Coast Guard who punctured the boat and returned 26 migrants to Libya. The other 12 jumped from the boat and began to swim towards the Spanish fishing boat NUESTRA MADRE LORETO

The situation of the Spanish fishing boat is already critical, after ten days blocked in the middle of the Mediterranean, about one hundred miles off the coast of Libya, threatened by the strong swell in the area and with 11 sick migrants on board, including two minors . Yesterday night, Friday 30th November a young rescued person was winched and brought to Malta by AFM AW139 Helicopter.

NUESTRA MADRE LORETO was built in 1997 by Astilleros Cardama at Vigo, Spain as a Gill Netter. She’s 27 metres long with 198 tons as GRT. Her home port is Santa Pola with fishing matricola as 3-AT-22-97.

Images below are of her while entering Valletta, Malta back to 6th October, 2007