Ocean Viking saves 36 migrants off Lampedusa coast
The "Ocean Viking" rescue ship has pulled 36 people from an overcrowded wooden boat in the Mediterranean Sea. Maltese authorities had requested the charity chip to save the shipwrecked migrants.
mediterranean sea
Maltese and Italian coastguards pick up a total of 73 migrants at sea after distress calls
Malta has rescued 45 migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing. Among those saved was a pregnant woman at risk of miscarriage, who had to be airlifted. Later, the Italian coastguard picked up another 28 migrants.
Ocean Viking charity vessel rescues 109 migrants in Mediterranean
The charity vessel's mission continued, as a second operation brought the total number of people rescued to more than 100. The boat is one of many carrying out such missions in the Mediterranean.
Lampedusa hotspot full as arrivals continue
At the weekend, dozens of migrants disembarked autonomously on the coasts of the Italian island of Lampedusa, where independent arrivals by sea are becoming increasingly more frequent.
Ocean Viking resumes operations after 82 migrants disembark on Lampedusa
The charity rescue vessel Ocean Viking was allowed to disembark the 82 remaining migrants on board on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. The boat, which is run by the SOS Mediterranee charity and MSF, says it is now ready to embark on its next mission.
Council of Europe urges protection from traffickers for migrants
The Council of Europe on Thursday urged member states to step up protection for the victims of human trafficking; underscoring that migrant flows in the Mediterranean are an example of how the lack of access to Europe fails to protect victims of human traffickers.
Germany prepared to take in 25% of migrants who arrive in Italy by sea
Interior Minister Seehofer has made the gesture ahead of EU talks on migration later this month. The issue has been one of hot debate in recent years following a spate of arrivals in the Mediterranean.
EU extends Operation Sophia a further six months
The European Union has agreed to extend its Operation Sophia anti-migrant-smuggling mission along the Libyan Mediterranean coast by six months. It will now run until the end of March 2020 — however, actual naval operations remain halted.
Pregnant Nigerian evacuated from Ocean Viking by helicopter
Malta's armed forces airlifted a heavily pregnant Nigerian woman and her husband from the rescue ship on Wednesday. The charity-run ship is currently carrying more than 80 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea.
Last five migrants leave the Alan Kurdi rescue ship
The German search-and-rescue vessel Alan Kurdi has completed its current mission after Malta allowed the disembarkation of the remaining five migrants aboard the charity boat.
Ocean Viking picks up another 34 people in Mediterranean
The private rescue ship, Ocean Viking operated by Doctors without borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee, picked up a further 34 people in the Mediterranean in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The migrants had issued a distress call on Monday and had been picked up first by a small sailing yacht.
On board the Ocean Viking
Once a support and rescue vessel for offshore oil platforms, Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking has now embarked upon a mission to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean. Here's an upclose look at what a rescue ship looks like from the inside. So, let's meet some of its crew and let them tell us about life aboard...