Parents arrested – girl (4) was alone on refugee boat

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The parents of a four-year-old Tunisian girl who arrived in Lampedusa on Sunday without family on board a boat carrying illegal migrants have been arrested by Tunisian authorities. This has been confirmed by National Guard spokesman Houssem Eddine Jebabli, according to Italian media. According to media reports, the couple were arrested for child neglect after reporting their daughter missing.

The girl’s parents would not cooperate with security authorities to clarify the identity of the people smugglers who allegedly organized the crossing, the allegation has been made. The couple allegedly tried to leave the Tunisian coast on a boat bound for Italy. To get on the boat, they had to wade through the water. The man was carrying the four-year-old daughter while his wife followed with their eldest daughter.

Dad wanted to help mom and left daughter behind
When the man saw that the woman was in trouble and about to drown, he left his four-year-old daughter in the boat to help his wife. Meanwhile, the boat departed. The child was cared for by some women on board during the nearly 30-hour crossing to Lampedusa and is now in a center for minors in the Sicilian city of Agrigento.

Former Tunisian MP Majdi Karbai, who lives in Italy, confirmed that the four-year-old girl arrived in Lampedusa on Sunday without her parents. News of the parents’ arrest was confirmed by Karbai, who has been in contact with an aunt of the little girl who is still in Tunisia.

Second largest nationality among illegal migrants
According to data updated on October 19 by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, Tunisians are the second nationality among migrants who have landed illegally in Italy, with 15,847 arrivals since the start of the year (21 percent of the total), an increase of 12.91 percent (an increase of 1,812 people) compared to the same period in 2021.

With five migrant landings in 24 hours, 300 migrants have arrived in Lampedusa since Wednesday. There are currently 1,200 people in the island’s hot spot. The refugee shelter can accommodate only 350 people.

Source: Krone

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