The border police officers on the Coast Guard maritime vessel MAI 1102, on a mission within the Joint Maritime Operation "THEMIS 2023" under the auspices of the Frontex Agency, participated in the rescue, as part of a Search and Rescue mission in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, of 413 foreign citizens in danger.
On 06.10.2023, as part of a search and rescue operation carried out in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Romanian border police were requested to participate in the rescue of foreign citizens on board a fishing vessel of Lebanese origin, identified by another vessel in the joint operation.
In total, 413 people were rescued from the fishing vessel, who were in a situation of risk on the vessel, 80 of them being taken aboard the maritime patrol vessel MAI 1102 of the Coast Guard. The foreign citizens were permanently supervised until they disembarked in the port, they were given medical assistance, and later they were taken over by the authorities of the Italian Republic.
Upon completion of the rescue actions, the Coast Guard ship resumed its mission within the Frontex operation.
From the beginning of the year until now, the Border Police ships deployed within the Joint Operation "THEMIS 2023", organized by the European Agency FRONTEX (the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union), have safely transported , on shore, 3,864 foreign citizens whom they rescued from the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. They were on overcrowded and small boats. At the same time, the Romanian border police ensured the safe towing, to various ports in the islands of the Italian Republic, of some sailboats that were unable to maneuver.
We remind you that the naval assets of the Romanian Border Police carry out individual patrol, surveillance, search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, and the main objective of the joint maritime operation is to support the Italian authorities in the surveillance and control of the maritime borders of the European Union, preventing and combating migration illegal, as well as search and rescue of persons in distress at sea at the external border of the European Union.
