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Ship takeover by migrants raises concerns for rescues at seaThe takeover of El Hiblu 1, which some have described as an act of piracy, raised concerns that some merchant ships might become reluctant to conduct similar rescues in the future in case they end up in the same situationBy ELENA BECATOROS and MAGGIE MICHAEL Associated Press ATHENS, Greece — Mar 30, 2019 5:04 AMA rescue in the Mediterranean Sea that took an ominous turn has raised concerns that some merchant ship captains might become reluctant to save migrants in danger of drowning during the perilous crossing from north Africa to Europe, fearing they could lose control of their ship.A cargo ship heading from Turkey to Libya was asked to divert its course to rescue nearly 100 migrants in distress, which it did, before continuing on its course. But when the migrants realized Wednesday they were headed back to lawless Libya, which they had just left, some revolted, commandeering the ship and forcing it to head to Europe.The temporary hijacking this week of the El Hiblu 1 was described by Italy's hard-line interior minister as an act of "piracy. " Aid groups called it an act of "self-defense" against Europe's inhumane immigration policies, which aim to ship back desperate migrants to Libya, where they often face beatings, rape and torture in detention camps.Continued at: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ship-takeover-migrants-raises-concerns-rescues-sea-62054942
