Croatian coast guard helps stranded migrants
A boat carrying 65 undocumented migrants from Greece to Italy was receiving help from Croatian authorities after its engine failed off the country’s southern Adriatic coast, according to reports on Monday.
Croatian coast guard patrols spotted the boat, which had run into engine trouble off the coast of the island of Mljet, near Dubrovnik. They approached the boat and have provided 65 migrants from Somalia, Egypt, Syria and Afghanistan with food and medication, though they were unable to tow the vessel to safety as the captain refused to identify himself.
The boat, according to authorities, is in international waters and cannot be towed into Croatian territory without the acquiescence of the captain, the Croatian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
