A New Zealand aid worker who helped rescue 351 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea two days ago says many risk being sent back to where they came from.
Thumbs up to 351 rescue survivors now on dry land in Sicily. #ProtectHumanity pic.twitter.com/LFfdfDJ41f
— Rosemarie North (@RosemarieNorth) September 7, 2016
New Zealander Rosemarie North, who works for the Red Cross, said they were notified two days ago of a big rubber dinghy that was highly overloaded, just outside Libyan waters.
The Responder rescue ship was despatched to the scene and found 134 people on one rubber boat, trying to reach Italy from Libya.
Ms North, who was on board the rescue boat with other Red Cross personnel from Italy and Switzerland, said it was an eerie sight.
"It was utterly chilling to see this dinghy in the searchlight before dawn, to see all these people straddling these inflated tubes. It was utterly unsafe and what was even more horrifying was that people knew they were in danger and they held up babies into the air."
Red Cross spots first boat in trouble today - more than 100 people on a flimsy dinghy, leaking oil. pic.twitter.com/CG9IDNFDFV
— Rosemarie North (@RosemarieNorth) September 5, 2016
She said the search and rescue team noticed a "terrible smell" coming from the boat when they came close to it.
"It had high-octane fuel on it and they were becoming intoxicated and some of them were fainting and falling into the water, and people started panicking. And part of the boat was damaged and people fell into the water, there was mass panic, and from then on it was just a race to get as many people onto the rescue vessel as possible."
People rest in the shade on the #Responder in the #Med after being rescued by @moas_eu and treated by Red Cross. pic.twitter.com/GrCi6l4wHq
— Rosemarie North (@RosemarieNorth) September 5, 2016
Seven people died during the rescue operation, but Ms North said the young children on board all survived the trip.
The rescue ship also took on board passengers from four other vessels, which she described as "death-traps", on the same day, ultimately bringing 351 people to safety.
Ms North told Morning Report the migrants had travelled as far as Bangladesh, only to risk being turned back once they reached Italy, almost 10,000km from home.
After 48 hours in rough seas, survivors step off the #Responder rescue ship and on to dry land. #ProtectHumanity pic.twitter.com/Nesp2v2QOe
— Rosemarie North (@RosemarieNorth) September 7, 2016
"You could go all this way only to be turned back. People don't realise a lot of things, they don't realise how dangerous the journey is, they don't realise how wide the Mediterranean is, and how dangerous it is. They think they're almost there, and they've only just left Libya. They're astounded when it takes us 36 hours to sail to Italy."
The Red Cross has called on world leaders to "end the indifference to needless drownings" and take action to save lives.
Italian Red Cross doctor high-fives a man with a second chance at life after a #Mediterranean rescue by #Responder pic.twitter.com/ogkmIeYyXX
— Rosemarie North (@RosemarieNorth) September 7, 2016
Last year more than one million refugees and migrants - many fleeing the civil war in Syria - arrived in Europe, sparking a crisis as countries struggled to cope with the influx, and creating division in the EU over how best to deal with resettling people.
In March, the EU struck a deal with Turkey to try to stop new arrivals crossing from Turkey to Greece while Balkan nations closed their borders, moves that have reduced the number of arrivals using the so-called eastern Mediterranean route.
A crew member on the Responder with a young refugee rescued from an overloaded boat on the Mediterranean in an operation last month. Photo: AFP
