Spanish Charity Assists 54 Migrants Near Lampedusa

Volunteer lifeguards from Spanish charity Open Arms assisted 54 migrants stranded on a rubber dinghy off the Italian island of Lampedusa. They provided life jackets and water, and notified the Italian Coast Guard, which later took the migrants to safety. The central Mediterranean remains a perilous route for refugees.

AT SEA OFF LAMPEDUSA, Italy, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Volunteer lifeguards from Spanish charity Open Arms assisted 54 migrants stranded on a rubber dinghy in the Mediterranean Sea near the Italian island of Lampedusa on Tuesday, a Reuters witness reported. The charity provided life jackets and water to the passengers, who were mainly Syrian nationals, before alerting the Italian Coast Guard, which later took them to Lampedusa.

The central Mediterranean is notoriously dangerous for refugees trying to reach Europe. According to the United Nations' refugee agency, over 3,100 people died or went missing while attempting the crossing last year. Open Arms reported it had rescued or assisted 383 people in the past four days.

On Monday, the charity's vessel Astral assisted 110 people, including six women, four children, and individuals with disabilities, crammed onto an overloaded wooden barge. Mission coordinator Esther Camps noted a rise in the use of hand-welded iron boats from Tunisia, driven by the country's strict anti-immigration policies. A Reuters photograph showed such a boat split in two, connected by hinges. Camps suggested this design aids in discreet transportation.