Migrants rest aboard the Ocean Viking after being rescued during a search and rescue (SAR) operation in the Mediterranean Sea, July 5, 2021. Some 572 people, including 183 minors, are currently onboard the Ocean Viking vessel, the SOS Mediterranee organisation said after it picked them up in six operations in Maltese and Libyan search and rescue areas. The group said maritime authorities had not helped in the operations and urged the European Union to intervene. Migrant boat departures from north Africa towards Europe have picked up in 2021 after a decline in the previous few years. Scores of migrants have died in recent days following shipwrecks as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to reach Italy, one of the main routes into Europe.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 06, 2021 10:30 UTC