Private rescue missions are increasingly facing rejection by ports in Italy and now Malta. One particular vessel, the Ocean Viking, is now prepared for all emergencies on board because of this — including pregnancies and births.
A pregnant Nigerian woman and her family who were rescued by Italian coast guard vessel Gregoretti are now being taken care off by a Catholic charity in Catania, southern Italy.
After the death of an unborn baby, criminal charges have been pressed against two employees of a security service for denying the pregnant mother necessary assistance and possibly causing her to lose the child. The reception center operators, authorities and Berlin’s senate have promised to investigate the circumstances.
Migrants arriving in Europe might assume that they are coming to countries with high standards of health care, and this is often true. But the reality, the World Health Organization says, is that migrants' access to treatment in these systems can be limited. Pregnant women migrants and refugees - and their babies - also continue to face much greater health risks than other women in Europe.
A report by a UK government immigration watchdog has revealed that many properties for asylum seekers are dirty, damp and infested with vermin. Inspectors also found that much accommodation is unsuitable, putting vulnerable migrants under further strain.
The video showing a pregnant woman being forced off a French train has gone viral. There has been wdespread anger on social media.