Crew of Banksy-funded migrant rescue boat say EU officials ignored calls for help

The crew onboard the migrant rescue boat funded by Banksy have claimed several EU officials ignored their calls for help after they came close to a “state of emergency”.

The street artist financed the Louise Michel boat, named after a 19th-century French anarchist and teacher, to help refugees attempting to reach Europe from North Africa.

• Read more: Nadine Shah: “People need to empathise – there’s so much negativity towards refugees”

The former French navy boat became stranded in the Mediterranean Sea earlier today (August 29) after its deck became overcrowded. The 10-person crew said on the boat’s Twitter account they were “safeguarding 219 people” after coming to the aid of 89 people on Thursday (August 27) and a boat of 130 on Friday (28).

“There is already one dead person on the boat,” read the Twitter account. “The others have fuel burns, they have been at sea for days and now they are being left alone in an #EU (!) Search and Rescue Zone. Don’t let it become a body count. Do your job. Rescue them.”

There is already one dead person on the boat. The others have fuel burns, they have been at sea for days and now they are being left alone in an #EU (!) Search and Rescue Zone. Don't let it become a body count. Do your job. Rescue them.

— LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 28, 2020

According to the tweets, 33 people were on a life raft, with the deceased person in a body bag, due to the overcrowding on deck. The crew also shared a log of calls they had made to authorities, saying they had contacted Malta, Rome, and Bremen but were either not answered or told help was not available.

“#LouiseMichel is unable to move, she is no longer the master of her manoeuver, due to her overcrowded deck and a liferaft deployed at her side, but above all due to Europe ignoring our emergency calls for immediate assistance,” they tweeted. “The responsible authorities remain unresponsive.”

#LouiseMichel is unable to move, she is no longer the master of her manoeuver, due to her overcrowded deck and a liferaft deployed at her side, but above all due to Europe ignoring our emergency calls for immediate assistance. The responsible authorities remain unresponsive.

— LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020

Earlier today, they shared that the Italian coastguard had come to their aid and had evacuated “49 of our most vulnerable guests”, as well as the body of the deceased person.

The Italian Coastguard have evacuated 49 of our most vulnerable guests. They have also taken the body of the deceased person who had passed away before the crew reached the stricken rubber boat yesterday. May he rest in peace.

— LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020

Banksy is said to have financed the mission last year when he sent an email to Pia Klemp – the former captain of several NGO vessels that have rescued thousands of people. In an email, the artist told Klemp he had read about him in the news and thought he “sound[ed] like a badass”.

“I am an artist from the UK and I’ve made some work about the migrant crisis, obviously I can’t keep the money,” he wrote. “Could you use it to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Well done. Banksy.”

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