a ferry from the Corsica Linea rescues 18 migrants drifting

These migrants seeking exile to Europe, including minors, were a priori at sea for several days when they crossed the road to Mediterranean, a ferry Corsica Linea left Algiers Sunday to Marseille, with more than 2,000 passengers on board.

Drifting on a small seemingly out of power motorboat, they were hoisted aboard Mediterranean and immediately examined by the medical staff. "Their health is relatively good," said the spokeswoman for the company.

These 18 migrants, a priori from North Africa, were landed in the Spanish port of Alcudia, Mallorca, on Monday: "In accordance with international regulations, the ship landed them in the nearest safe harbor", added Pasquine Albertini, stating that the ferry had resumed its route to Marseille, where he must arrive Tuesday.

According to photos of the rescue obtained by AFP from a former commander of the company, the boat in which these migrants were located is a rigid hull boat equipped with a single engine, which can carry a maximum of ten people.

While rescues of migrants at sea are frequent on commercial vessels – container ships, tankers and ore carriers – they are much rarer by passenger ships. Rescues by NGOs such as SOS Mediterranean are only a minor part of all the rescues at sea. The proportion of rescue at sea by humanitarian vessels reached 40%, its maximum, in 2017, according to a report of the guardians. Italian coast lines which coordinated all the rescue operations at sea.