HMS Enterprise rescues 453 migrants
During last week end, starting the afternoon of the 22 August, the British warship “Enterprise” was engaged in the biggest rescue the Operation EUNAVFOR MED had been requested to run until now. While patrolling an area of the central Mediterranean, the UK ship was sent to intervene in favour of several boats in distress with migrants onboard.
At the end 453 migrants sailing in 4 different vessels were rescued and, after having been transferred onboard another Eunavfor Med ship, the German frigate Schleswig Holstein, that proceeded towards the port of Taranto as requested by the Italian Authorities.
On the 22 of June, 2015, the Council launched the EU naval operation against human smugglers and traffickers in the Mediterranean called “EUNAVFOR Med”, with the main focus on disrupting the business model of the smugglers and therefore prevent more loss of lives.
The obligation to assist persons in distress at sea and to deliver survivors to a place of safety, is clearly stated in international conventions such as SOLAS. EUNAVFOR MED vessels are ready and equipped to perform also these related duties and in less than two month of operations, they have already been involved in several rescue activities contributing to save the life of more than 1500 migrants.