Working Conditions Aboard the Karewood-Star

On July 13, 2020, a harrowing incident unfolded in the central Mediterranean as the Italian coastguard and the cargo ship 'Karewood Star' neglected a migrant vessel adrift with approximately 60 individuals on board for over 40 hours. The situation came to light when the reconnaissance aircraft Moonbird, operated by NGO Sea-Watch and the Humanitarian Pilots Initiative, spotted the stricken boat and documented it. The crew was initially alerted by Alarm Phone, a helpline dedicated to assisting boats in distress, which provided the precise GPS coordinates of the malfunctioning migrant vessel. As the Moonbird team returned to the scene at 4:30 p.m., they confirmed that the migrants' boat was still stranded, with two other vessels—one being the 'Karewood Star' and the other an Italian coastguard patrol boat—present nearby. However, when the Moonbird crew checked back at 8:15 p.m., both the cargo ship and coastguard vessel had inexplicably vanished, leaving the migrants in peril. In a bid to clarify the situation, the Moonbird attempted to communicate with the captain of the 'Karewood Star' via radio. Unfortunately, due to communication barriers, an effective response was not achieved. Meanwhile, the Italian coastguard explained that they had arrived on-site but did not participate in any rescue actions after being informed by the 'Karewood Star' captain that he would handle the rescue. It took almost two days for an Italian Guardia di Finanza military boat to finally reach and rescue the abandoned migrants, who were located just a few miles from Lampedusa. The 'Karewood Star', which was on its way from Porto Nogaro, docked in Sfax on July 14 following this distressing event. This incident highlights the alarming issue of Europe's response to migration at sea, raising questions about accountability and the moral obligations of maritime authorities. For more details and visuals on this story, visit The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/italian-coastguard-and-cargo-ship-ignored-stricken-migrant-boat.