An investigation by The Guardian has found that a clampdown on NGO rescue ships working in the Mediterranean Sea has meant that none have been available since 26 August, putting at risk the lives of thousands of migrants making the dangerous sea crossing between north Africa and southern Europe.
The crackdown follows the recent refusal of the Italian and Maltese governments to allow migrants rescued from the Mediterranean to disembark in their ports. This move has yet to deter would-be sea migrants, with a further 100 drowning when their rubber boat sank off the coast of Libya. 276 survivors were taken to the Libyan port of Khoms and are now being held in detention there. There are growing concerns that rescued migrants taken back to Libya face harsh and punitive conditions in detention camps.
Figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) show that over 1,500 migrants have died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far in 2018.
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