Capsizing of a migrant boat in the Mediterranean Sea
A view over the Egyptian Mediterranean coast.
On September 21, 2016, a boat capsized off the Egyptian coast with around 600 refugees on board in the Mediterranean Sea. 204 bodies were recovered (including at least 30 children), around 160 people were rescued, and hundreds of people remain missing, with approximately 300 people presumed dead. Four people were arrested for trafficking and breaking capacity laws. The incident was the worst in 2016 in the Mediterranean Sea.[1][2][3][4]
In March 2017, the BBC reported that 56 people were convicted and sentenced to prison relating to the capsizing. The longest sentence was 14 years. The charges ranged from murder, manslaughter and negligence to lesser charges of not using sufficient rescue equipment, endangering lives, receiving money from the victims, hiding suspects from authorities, and using a vessel without a license.[5]
Reactions
An Egyptian Member of Parliament named Elhamy Agina reacted to the incident by stating that the victims of the disaster "deserved to die" and "do not deserve sympathy", causing controversy after an emergency cabinet meeting between President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egypt's security chiefs.[6]
