Migration “Absolutely unbearable” – Finnish doctor tells about the situation on a lifeboat that has been waiting to land in the Mediterranean for a week

“At issue is a forgotten, ongoing disaster in Europe, ”he says Wind LehtivuoriA Finnish doctor on the rescue mission of the International Red Cross.

Lehtivuori, which was reached by HS on Sunday, is currently on a ship called the Ocean Viking, which has been waiting for permission from the authorities to enter an Italian port for a week.

There are about 300 people on board off the Libyan coast who are being rescued from international waters on their way to Europe. The first of those rescued have been on board for eleven days.

According to maritime legislation, shipwrecked people should be received at the port, Lehtivuori says. Recently, however, it has taken longer to obtain a permit.

“This is now the seventh day since we applied for‘ place of safety ’. We have still not received an answer. Now we are circling here on the Sicilian coast and we expect to get to a port at some point. ”

Room is limited and people sleep on the deck. Diseases such as the flu, scabies and lice spread on board. Paracetamol is nearing the end, and soap, which is important for hygiene, is also running out. The food will run out in a few days, Lehtivuori says.

“I find it completely intolerable that we are in Europe and have this situation.”

Mediterranean Sea is one of the main routes taken by migrants to Europe with the help of smugglers.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

According to the UNHCR

By 22 May this year, 34,350 migrants had arrived in Europe via the Mediterranean, most by sea. The refugee organization has recorded less than 600 deaths or disappearances as a result of its efforts this year.

Over the last year, there were more than 120,000 crossings into Europe and almost 2,000 dead and missing.

Boats that are full to the brim are organized by smugglers, but when they leave the waters, people rely on their own happiness.

“It doesn’t necessarily have anyone on board who knows how to sail, but a direction is taken and the best is hoped for,” says Lehtivuori.

Libya is a transit country for migrants and refugees on their way to Europe. The reasons for making an expensive and dangerous trip are many, and there are several routes.

A lot of West Africans are on board the ongoing rescue mission for the Red Cross and the French NGO SOS Méditerranée. In addition, the ship has departed from Syria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Bangladesh and Libya, for example, Lehtivuori says.

UNHCR

information

more than 40% of those crossing the Mediterranean this year come from Tunisia, Egypt and Baghdad. The fourth largest country of origin was Syria.

“Of course, it hopes that there will be more burden-sharing at EU level so that the target border country does not have to deal with it alone. I think this is a relevant point for Finland as well, if you think about our location. ”

Several people have suffered serious injuries in the treatment of the Libyan police, the aftermath of which Lehtivuori is allowed to take care of in his work. Women have experienced a lot of sexual violence.

In addition, many have fuel-induced burns that Lehtivuori has not encountered elsewhere. Inflatable boats in particular easily leak fuel from the engine. When combined with seawater, it can cause very nasty burns to the bodies of those sitting in the water at the bottom of the boat, Lehtivuori says.

If and when the ship lands, those rescued will first end up in quarantine vessels waiting in port before entering the reception centers due to the corona pandemic.

Leaf mountain says he understands that rescue will certainly divide opinions.

“But as a doctor, I don’t see an alternative to rescue.”