On a gagné

On 28 August 2019, in the early hours of dawn, 70 miles from Misurata, the “Mediterranea” organization - thanks to its ship Mare Jonio - saved 98 shipwreckers of which 22 children under 10 years, 6 unaccompanied minors and 8 pregnant women.

Most of them have suffered torture and harassment slavery in the Libyan ghettos.

The migrants travelled for two nights and reported engine problems. When the rubber dinghy started to deflate, 6 people lost their lives.

This case occurred in the middle of the crisis of the first Conte government.

The former Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini, according to the “security decree bis”, refused to allow the rescue ship to enter Italian waters, leaving for days the Mare Jonio ship 15 miles from Lampedusa, in very bad weather conditions.

On 29 August the Coast Guard transhipped 64 people, mostly pregnant women and children. The transhipment was carried out in the open sea, at night with high waves and the risk of falling into the sea, which is why it has already been renamed “the transhipment of shame”.

The Mare Jonio vessel spent 6 days with 34 other migrants on board, in poor sanitary conditions, without running water for days.

“Brothers and sisters, on a gagné”.

After more than 6 days, these are the words spoken by Luca Casarini, head of mission of this rescue, which break the silence and the expectation. Now even the last 34 people left on board the Mare Jonio can go down.

The authorities have never assigned a Place of Safety.

Once arrived in Lampedusa, the Mare Jonio has suffered the seizure of the ship and a fine of 300.000€.

© Francesco Bellina - Rescued men on board of the ship "Mare Jonio".
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Rescued men on board of the ship "Mare Jonio".

© Francesco Bellina - View from the binoculars during night-time watching, before the rescue. Sar Zone.
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View from the binoculars during night-time watching, before the rescue. Sar Zone.

© Francesco Bellina - Night detail of the Mediterranean Sea, seen from the ship Mare Jonio.
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Night detail of the Mediterranean Sea, seen from the ship Mare Jonio.

© Francesco Bellina - The remains of the migrants' rubber boat.
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The remains of the migrants' rubber boat.

© Francesco Bellina - Image from the On a gagné photography project
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A woman embraces her children and other children, after being rescued by Mediterranea. Many women were raped in Libyan ghettos and had pregnancies.

© Francesco Bellina - A man, immediately after the rescue, rests on the ship “Mare Jonio”.
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A man, immediately after the rescue, rests on the ship “Mare Jonio”.

© Francesco Bellina - Rescued men on board of the ship Mare Jonio.
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Rescued men on board of the ship Mare Jonio.

© Francesco Bellina - Image from the On a gagné photography project
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On 28 August 2019, 70 miles from Misurata, the “Mediterranea” organization rescued 98 shipwreckers of which 22 children under 10 years, 6 unaccompanied minors and 8 pregnant women. Most of them have suffered torture and harassment slavery in the Libyan ghettos.

© Francesco Bellina - A woman breeds her baby after being saved from the shipwreck.
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A woman breeds her baby after being saved from the shipwreck.

© Francesco Bellina - A man takes off his thermal blanket, after the rescue of Mediterranea.
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A man takes off his thermal blanket, after the rescue of Mediterranea.

© Francesco Bellina - Image from the On a gagné photography project
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Kadher, a child from Ivory Coast, is transferred to the coastguard's ship with his mother and other children. The transhipment was carried out in the open sea, at night with high waves and the risk of falling into the sea, which is why it has already been renamed “the transhipment of shame”.

© Francesco Bellina - Latex gloves on board.
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Latex gloves on board.

© Francesco Bellina - The Italian Coast Guard ship leaves the "Mare Jonio” ship after the "transhipment of shame".
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The Italian Coast Guard ship leaves the "Mare Jonio” ship after the "transhipment of shame".

© Francesco Bellina - Rescued men on board of the ship Mare Jonio.
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Rescued men on board of the ship Mare Jonio.

© Francesco Bellina - A man wearing his thermal blanket.
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A man wearing his thermal blanket.

© Francesco Bellina - A migrant, on board the ship "Mare Jonio", wears the thermal blanket, after the rescue. 

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A migrant, on board the ship "Mare Jonio", wears the thermal blanket, after the rescue. 


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