13 People Lost in Mediterranean

In the central Mediterranean, 13 people have been lost. The alarm was raised by the Alarm Phone (Ap), a switchboard that receives migrants' SOS. They left on the evening of December 24 from the Libyan coast of Sabratha, 80 km west of Tripoli, on a fiberglass boat, according to il manifesto Italian newspaper.

They were men from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nigeria. They did not arrive in Lampedusa and the sea conditions, rapidly worsening, lead to fear of the worst.

"We did not speak directly with people traveling," said Deanna Dadusch of the Alarm Phone. "We were contacted by three distinct family members, who called us several times. Very worried"

On 26 December, the AP forwarded the distress request to the Maltese and Italian coastguards, the Libyan authorities, and Frontex, transmitting all the information in its possession and the telephone numbers of the migrants, which can be used for location attempts.

Frontex said it carried out two reconnaissance flights on Saturday 26, but without identifying the boat. It is surprising that the European agency responded to the PA after it avoided all relations with humanitarian organizations for a long time.

The change of practice, if confirmed, could depend on the heavy accusations recently received for the work in the Aegean, following which some MEPs asked for the resignation of director Fabrice Leggeri.

The Italian coast guard would also be dealing with the fate of the lost 13 people, but so far no more details are known. "Why don't the Italian and Maltese authorities start a search and rescue mission?" asked the deputy Erasmo Palazzotto (LeU).