[WATCH] Migrant onboard Sea-Watch 3 jumps overboard in attempt to reach Malta

The NGO said that months of detention in Libya and being stranded at sea for two weeks was taking its toll on the rescued migrants

The Sea-Watch 3 has been stranded at sea with 32 rescued migrants on board for two weeks
The Sea-Watch 3 has been stranded at sea with 32 rescued migrants on board for two weeks

One of the 32 migrants currently onboard the Sea-Watch 3 jumped overboard and attempted to swim to Malta on Friday, Sea Watch, the German NGO that runs the vessel said.

The migrants were rescued by the vessel two weeks ago, but have remained stranded on the ship as attempts by its captain to find a safe port of disembarkation have as yet not been successful.

The Sea-Watch 3, along with the Professor Albrecht Penck, which is carrying another 17 rescued migrants, were granted permission to enter Maltese territorial waters for shelter on Wednesday.

“One of our guests jumped into the water to reach Malta. Minutes later, he was back on board – he knew it wouldn’t work,” the NGO said in a tweet.

“They’ve been at sea for over 14 days, they’d been locked in for months in Libya. This is what despair looks like.”

The NGO said that for days now, the migrants had been forced to look at Europe’s coast without being able to reach it.

Several NGOs and academics, as well as Malta’s bishops have over the past two weeks appealed to European governments and the European Commission to resolve the impasse and offer the Sea-Watch 3 and the Professor Albrecht Penck a safe port for disembarkation.

Earlier this week, government sources told MaltaToday that talks involving a number of EU member states and the European Commission were underway in order for the migrants to be redistributed among different member states.

Over the past week, the army rescued and brought to Malta 249 migrants, who were crossing the Mediterranean. The rescues happened in an area of Malta’s competence.

READ MORE: Stranded NGO vessels allowed to enter Maltese waters as EU states discuss migrant relocation