British volunteer appeals for help saving 32 migrants in Mediterranean as storm bears down

The government is under pressure to intervene after a ship carrying 32 migrants was denied entry to Mediterranean ports amid worsening weather.

Robin Jenkins, an RNLI volunteer for 20 years, said the Sea-Watch vessel still has “nowhere to go” eight days after it picked up the group of men, women and children off the coast of Malta.

He now believes that the safety of the crew and passengers – including an infant – was threatened by an approaching storm at a “critical stage” of the mission. The UN has also weighed in, urging nations to open a safe port.

Welsh assembly member Leanne Wood has written to home secretary Sajid Javid and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to call for “urgent assistance” for the ship and those aboard.

“He is now in serious danger along with dozens of other people including children,” wrote Ms Wood. “It is incumbent on you to do all that is in your power to assist Mr Jenkins and the desperate people on board his vessel.”

Earlier this month Mr Jenkins, the founder of the international rescue organisation Atlantic Pacific, was praised by Theresa May when he was given a Points of Light award for his “Lifeboat in a Box” project in Japan.

He has described on his Facebook page how he and the crew of the Sea-Watch rescued the group of 32 people in distress on an “unseaworthy” rubber boat on 22 December.

Six days later he reported that “no European port is willing to provide shelter” to the migrants.

“These people have escaped exploitation, slavery, violence and the nightmare that is current day Libya,” he wrote.

“All they ask is the opportunity to live their lives like any other free human being. It is this stark reality that reminds me of the privileged life I have been given, at 14 years old I was still exploring my new Christmas gifts, not exploring ways to find safety.”

On Sunday he posted pictures of the baby and two children aged six and seven as he renewed appeals for a safe haven for the passengers from the storm.

The Independent has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.

“The forecast suggest that we may be in for force 9 conditions in the next four days,” he wrote. “I am wondering who thinks it is ok to force a baby to be exposed to that.

“We are very concerned about wall will come next and feel that we are entering in to a very critical stage of the rescue. This could easily be avoided as we are only a few miles away from the closest port of safety, however we are being told to stay away.”

Mr Jenkins has received support from friends and followers on Twitter, including radio host Rev Richard Coles, who said: “They can’t find a port to take them. If you can help, even if it’s just a retweet, please do.”

The UN refugee agency also backed their mission, tweeting: “We remain concerned for 32 refugees and migrants rescued more than six days ago by the Sea-Watch 3 boat, and call for their timely disembarkation at a nearby safe port.”

Philipp Hahn, head of operations of Sea-Watch 3, called on European countries to allocate a safe haven for the rescued migrants.

He said in a statement: “To escape torture, slavery and death in Libya, these people have no choice but to take on the dangerous route across the central Mediterranean sea at Christmas.

“At these temperatures, the chance of survival in the event of a shipwreck is well under 24 hours, we are incredibly glad that we found them in time.”

Despite their situation, the crew remains upbeat. “We are keeping an eye on everyone onboard and trying to keep our spirits high,” said Mr Jenkins. “We are a hardy bunch, so should be ok.”

It comes as ministers were accused of “blowing out of proportion” a recent rise in the number of mostly Iranian people trying to cross to the UK from France.

Some 220 migrants have attempted the journey since November but campaigners said this was “not unheard-of or unprecedented”, despite Mr Javid having cut short his Christmas break to deal with what the government categorised as a “major incident”.