The recent tragic events off the coast of Lampedusa have once again highlighted the harsh reality of migration in the Mediterranean. The German NGO Compass Collective, which is involved in rescue operations for migrants in distress, recently rescued an 11-year-old girl, the presumed sole survivor of a shipwreck that left 44 other people missing.
The story of this little girl from Sierra Leone, who was left floating for three days in the Mediterranean with only two improvised life jackets as her companions, is both heartbreaking and revealing of the dangers faced by migrants seeking a better life. Her boat, which had set off from Sfax in Tunisia, sank during a storm, leaving these brave souls at the mercy of the waves.
The rapid and dedicated intervention of the crew of the NGO’s Trotamar III vessel saved this child, whose strength of survival and resilience have been admired by all who have crossed her path. Unfortunately, the human toll of this tragedy is extremely high, with the presumed disappearance of forty-four people, including women and children in search of a safer future.
The Italian authorities, represented by the coastguard and the police, have launched search operations to find possible survivors or victims of this tragedy in the open sea. However, the changing weather conditions and strong currents make these searches extremely delicate, leaving little hope of finding other survivors.
The little survivor, now hospitalized and convalescing, embodies the will to live and the indomitable strength of those who brave the waves to find refuge in more hospitable lands. Her poignant story should serve as a reminder to all of the need to implement more humane and supportive migration policies, in order to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
In these uncertain times, when solidarity and empathy are needed more than ever, it is our collective duty to reach out to those who have lost everything at sea, in the hope that a better future is on the horizon. The Mediterranean, the cradle of so many civilisations, should not be the tomb of those who simply seek to survive and thrive.