A group of 30 migrants stranded on an offshore platform in the Mediterranean, east of Tunisia, have gone without food for several days, with their health rapidly deteriorating, according to the emergency hotline service Alarm Phone.
The platform, located approximately 75 miles off Tunisia’s coast, has been described as unsuitable for providing adequate care. The humanitarian group Sea-Watch, which conducted a reconnaissance visit, said the migrants had arrived aboard an inflatable boat, later seen tied to the structure. One person has reportedly died due to the harsh conditions, while others are suffering from severe hunger and exhaustion.
Aid organizations have called on Italian and Maltese authorities to intervene, arguing that the migrants are in international waters within both countries' search and rescue zones. "They have the right to be transferred to a safe port," a statement from Sea-Watch said.
Human rights groups have also warned that Shell, which owns the platform, and Amilcar Petroleum Operations, which operates it, could be complicit in rights violations if the migrants are forcibly returned to Libya or Tunisia. International law prohibits returning individuals to a country where they may face persecution or harm.
News