A further 178 migrants were taken to the island of Lampedusa, the Italian territory closest to northern Africa. Maltese navy finds migrantsThe Maltese navy said 75 migrants found clinging to a tuna pen had also been rescued. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it had spoken to them when they arrived in Malta "exhausted, hungry, and extremely relieved to be on land after three days at sea." Earlier this week, UNHCR evacuated 62 Syrians and Africans to Romania where they are being given medical treatment before going on to Norway. The UNHCR said that risks for refugees and migrants in Libya were rising, and that "new detainees are arriving at a faster pace than people are departing."

Source: The North Africa Journal May 30, 2019 20:37 UTC