ITALY / REFUGEE ARRIVALS

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said nearly 1,000 people of various nationalities have been rescued in the past few days from the Mediterranean Sea, including unaccompanied children. Two fishing boats sailing from Egypt carried some 500 people who were rescued off the coast of Sicily. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:38
• Production Date: 13 May 2016
• Asset Language: Arabic; English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: MIGRANTS; REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: ITALY; MEDITERRANEAN SEA
• MAMS Id: 1624234
• Parent Id: 1624234
• Alternate Title: unifeed160513e

Description

STORY: ITALY / REFUGEE ARRIVALS
TRT: 02:38
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR

LANGUAGE: ARABIC / NATS

DATELINE: 13 MAY 2016

Shotlist

13 MAY 2016, SICILY, ITALY

1. Various shots, Italian rescue boat
2. Various shots, migrants and refugees on board
3. Various shots, migrants at the port
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlotta Sami, Spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“In the past weeks, we’ve seen increasingly a number of boats that sail from Egypt heading to Italy and this is worrying. We are concerned about that. These are big fishing boats that can bring more than 300-400 people and the route is very long, the journey is very long, it might take 10-16 days.”
5. Various shots, refugees walking
6. Various shots, Ali sitting at reception tent
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Yemeni Refugee:
“I would rather die before they died. How could they die? They are children. If one person dies, at least it’s just one person. That’s how I saw it.”
8. Wide shot, Ali standing at reception tent
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Yemeni Refugee:
“I left my children a will – I wrote them a will. I told them if I die, there are things in life you should do, that is my only wish; learn and study; that’s it.”
10. Wide shot, Ali resting in tent
11. Wide shot, refugees waiting to charge phones
12. Med shot, girl carrying doll
13. Various shots, refugees resting in tent

Storyline

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said nearly 1,000 people of various nationalities have been rescued in the past few days from the Mediterranean Sea, including unaccompanied children. Two fishing boats sailing from Egypt carried some 500 people who were rescued off the coast of Sicily.

UNHCR said tightening borders have decreased but not halted arrivals into Europe. In the past, Libya has been the main set off point for the dangerous journeys, but conflict in the country has been pushing refugees and migrants to find safer routes.

SOUNDBITE (English) Carlotta Sami, Spokesperson, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
“In the past weeks, we’ve seen increasingly a number of boats that sail from Egypt heading to Italy and this is worrying. We are concerned about that. These are big fishing boats that can bring more than 300-400 people and the route is very long, the journey is very long, it might take 10-16 days.”

One of those refugees arriving from Egypt was Ali. Along with his wife, Ali fled the ongoing war in Yemen, leaving their two sons behind. They went from Yemen to Egypt and onto the boat, knowing they might not make it.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Yemeni Refugee:
“I would rather die before they died. How could they die? They are children. If one person dies, at least it’s just one person. That’s how I saw it.”

Ali left his sons with his sister hiding in a mountainous region in Yemen. He said he left them his final wishes.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ali, Yemeni Refugee:
“I left my children a will – I wrote them a will. I told them if I die, there are things in life you should do, that is my only wish; learn and study; that’s it.”

After reaching safety, Ali now is seeking asylum in Europe, and hopes to open a shop and reunite his family.

So far this year, 187,920 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe by sea, including 155,765 to Greece and 31,252 to Italy.