Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1069175
24 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 9 JANUARY 2019 2019 will be pivotal in bringing in the necessary REFORMS in key areas. We pledge to deliver. LAUR A CALLEJA THERE has been no change on a political level yet for the migrants stranded on the Sea- Watch 3 but on a humanitar- ian level the situation has be- come dire, a spokesperson for Sea Watch International said. "Try to imagine what it feels like for the migrants on board who suffered through terrible conditions and finally thought they would be safe, only to have Europe turn its back on them," the spokesperson told MaltaToday. The group said that they were concerned about the psychological well-being of the migrants on board, which they described as "weak". Some migrants had gone as far as refusing to eat, while others attempted to jump off the ship in despair. The Sea-Watch 3 is current- ly carrying 32 migrants who were rescued from a dinghy in international waters on 22 December. An additional 17 migrants were saved by the Sea Eye's vessel Professor Al- brecht Penck, amongst them three young children, three unaccompanied adolescents and four women from Nigeria, Libya and Ivory Coast. The two vessels have been at the centre of controversy since they have both been stranded without permission to dock anywhere for three weeks. The group said that while it agrees that Malta is not re- sponsible for taking in the migrants, the redistribution process must happen on land, and not out at sea in poor con- ditions. "We agree that Malta is not responsible for taking in the migrants, but redistribution should happen on land and not at sea. Treating human beings in such a way is unacceptable... the ship does not have the fa- cilities to keep persons on it for this long. Gambling with the lives of innocent people is unacceptable," Sea Watch said. The group appealed for a so- lution to the current impasse but also one that would work in the long run. It said that it is not the only organisation res- cuing migrants in the Medi- terranean Sea – the solution needs to be for "everyone". "We cannot have a situation where every time there is a rescue a two-week standoff occurs. We understand that Malta is already carrying a high burden of migrants when compared to others, we believe that it is up to other European countries such as Germany to take in the migrants." It stressed that Germany should follow Spain's lead when in August it agreed to take in the 11 migrants that were rescued off the coast of Libya by a Spanish fishing boat. "Germany must follow Spain's lead, and to an extent, it has by agreeing to take in a portion of migrants, but it is a shame considering what economic wealth the country enjoys that they are not will- ing to take in all of them," the spokesperson said. Currently, both the Neth- erlands and Germany have pledged to take in some of the migrants when another Euro- pean country agrees to open its port and allow the vessels to dock. Italy's Deputy Prime Minis- ter and Interior Minister Mat- teo Salvini has been particu- larly adamant that his country would not be allowing the migrants to disembark in his country. On Sunday, Joseph Muscat told One Radio during an in- terview that it was his respon- sibility to avoid setting a prece- dent by accepting to take in the 49 migrants who are currently stranded off Malta's coast on two NGO ships. Malta wants a redistribution agreement in place before it allows the mi- grants to disembark. Various NGOs and academ- ics, Malta's Children's Com- missioner Pauline Miceli and Malta's bishops have all called on authorities to show com- passion and take the migrants in. Pope Francis has also called on European leaders to bring the migrants ashore. Migrants stranded on NGO ships 'being driven to despair'