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Ocean Viking is operated by SOS Mediterranee

NGO ship rescues 438 migrants in Mediterranean

Rescue ship Ocean Viking has saved 438 migrants in distress in the Mediterranean over the last two days, said the organisation that runs it, SOS Mediterranee.

World • 26 Aug 23

Italian NGO Emergency said its Life Support ship had unsuccessfully looked for the missing boat for 24 hours

Migrant boat carrying 500 people disappears - rescuers

A boat carrying about 500 migrants, including a newborn baby and pregnant women, has disappeared in the central Mediterranean, two charities have said.

World • 26 May 23

The Tunisian navy rescued dozens of people who had tried to flee to Europe (file pic)

43 drown as boat sinks off Tunisian coast

At least 43 people have drowned in a shipwreck off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy.

World • 03 Jul 21

Pietro Bartolo with Baby Favour in May 2016

Doctor of Lampedusa: The man who saved thousands

Born on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, after a stint as a fisherman Pietro Bartolo worked there as a doctor for more than 30 years, and treated thousands of asylum seekers. He is now an MEP, and wants human beings to be the core of the EU.

World • 13 Oct 19

Libya is a key departure point for thousands of migrants who attempt to reach Europe every year

Ireland agrees to migrant resettlement plan across EU

Eight EU member states, including Ireland, have agreed to actively participate in a new "solidarity mechanism" to resettle migrants and refugees across the EU.

Europe • 23 Jul 19

Minerve submarine was lost off France's southern coast with 52 sailors on board on 17 January 1968

French Submarine found 51 years after disappearance

A French submarine that went missing in the western Mediterranean in 1968 has been located during a search mission, officials said.

World • 22 Jul 19

Survivors of a boat carrying migrants that sunk in the Mediterranean gather at a shelter in the Tunisian coastal town of Zarzis

60 migrants drown in the Mediterranean - Red Crescent

Around 60 migrants, most of them from Bangladesh, have died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea after it left Libya for Italy, the Tunisian Red Crescent said.

World • 11 May 19

Maltese special forces guard the migrants after the ship docked in Valetta

Malta takes control of tanker hijacked by migrants

Malta's armed forces have taken control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants it had rescued off Libya.

World • 28 Mar 19

Spain has become Europe's main entry point for migrants, overtaking Greece and Italy

Spain rescues 401 migrants over start of new year

Spanish coastguards rescued 401 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean over the first two days of the new year.

Europe • 02 Jan 19

One of the remote Kent beaches where migrants have landed in Dover, England

UK: Rise in migrant Channel crossings 'major incident'

British interior minister Sajid Javid has said the fast-growing number of would-be immigrants crossing the English Channel from France in dinghies is a "major incident".

World • 28 Dec 18

Two buildings collapsed suddenly not far from Marseille city centre

At least four dead in Marseille building collapse

At least four people have died in the southern French city of Marseille in two building collapses, officials have said.

Europe • 06 Nov 18

The UNHCR said about 72,000 people had arrived in Italy, Greece and Spain between January and July

More than 600 migrants rescued off Spanish coast

More than 600 migrants have been rescued in the Mediterranean as they attempted to make the perilous crossing to Spain, the Spanish coastguard has said.

World • 03 Sep 18

Thousands of people make the journey across the Mediterranean each week (file pic)

Three babies dead, 100 missing as ship sinks off Libya

The bodies of three babies have been recovered and around 100 people are missing after a migrant boat sank off the coast of Libya.

Migration • 29 Jun 18

Around 25 migrants from the Lifeline boat will be given refuge in Ireland

Ireland to offer refuge to some Lifeline boat migrants

The Government has agreed that Ireland will offer refuge to around 25 migrants who are currently on a boat stranded 30km off the coast of Malta.

Politics • 26 Jun 18

19 killed as truck crashes in Libya

At least 19 people were killed and more than 100 injured when the truck transporting them crashed in Libya.

Libya • 15 Feb 18

Amnesty International has accused the EU of deliberately turning its back on migrants

Amnesty accuses EU of turning its back on refugees

Amnesty International has accused the European Union of deliberately turning its back on migrants and refugees, contributing to a rising number of deaths at sea.

News • 06 Jul 17

The LÉ Eithne's crew is credited with saving the lives of more than 3,300 migrants

LÉ Eithne departs on new Mediterranean migrant mission

The naval vessel LÉ Eithne has departed Cork Harbour to participate in the humanitarian mission to rescue migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe.

News • 23 May 17

The Italian coast guard has been involved in operations that have seen 5,000 people saved in recent days

Thousands saved from flimsy boats in Mediterranean

The Italian coast guard and other boats rescued 3,000 people from unseaworthy boats off the Libyan coast yesterday, as the good weather pushes the numbers up, a participating NGO said.

News • 16 Apr 17

Belgian authorities had refused the visa, leading to a court battle

EU court rules states can deny humanitarian visas

European Union member states do not have to issue entry visas to people at risk of torture or inhuman treatment, the EU's top court has ruled, cutting off a possible channel for refugees into the bloc.

News • 07 Mar 17

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is among the European Union leaders in Malta for the summit

EU leaders back Libyans to curb new migrant wave

European Union leaders placed a bet on Libya's fragile government to help them prevent a new wave of African migrants this spring, offering Tripoli more money and other assistance to beef up its frontier controls.

News • 03 Feb 17

Rescue operation took three-and-half hours to complete

LÉ Samuel Beckett rescues 299 migrants off Libya

LÉ Samuel Beckett has rescued 299 migrants from three separate rubber vessels during a search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya.

News • 27 Oct 16

The LÉ Beckett carried out the search and rescue operation at the behest of the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (Pic: Irish Defence Forces)

LÉ Beckett rescues 118 and recovers five bodies

The LÉ Beckett has recovered five bodies during a search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean.

News • 19 Oct 16

People wait to be rescued as they drift 20 nautical miles north off the coast of Libya

More than 6,000 people rescued off Libyan coast

More than 6,055 migrants were rescued and 22 found dead as they tried to reach Europe on about 40 boats, one of the highest numbers in a single day, Italian and Libyan officials said

News • 04 Oct 16

The 58-strong crew served under Lieutenant Commander Neil Manning

LÉ James Joyce returns to Cork after Med tour

LÉ James Joyce has returned to Cork after a three-month humanitarian tour of duty in the Mediterranean.

News • 30 Sep 16

The crew of the LÉ James Joyce rescued 423 people off Libya on Saturday

More than 3,400 rescued off Libya this weekend

The LÉ James Joyce has rescued another 108 migrants off the Libyan coast as the total number rescued this weekend passes 3,400.

News • 12 Sep 16