A fishing boat flying the Sri Lankan flag docked in the port of Reunion this Sunday, July 31st. Six men would be on board. The authorities of Réunion are on alert.
A Sri Lankan fishing boat docked at Port de la Pointe des Galets just before 4pm on Sunday 31 July.
A fishing boat from Sri Lanka arrives in Réunion on Sunday 31 July • ©Laurent Figon
According to our information, there were six men on board. There would be neither wife nor child. The boat arrived in port, escorted by two semi-rigid sea gendarmerie. He had difficulty maneuvering in the dock.
Arriving at the quay, the passengers disembarked. The state police are on site in large numbers, but so are customs. Red Cross volunteers are also present to help with translation.
A Sri Lankan fishing boat arrives in Réunion on Sunday 31 July • ©Imaz Press
In the morning, several nautical miles from Pointe du Gouffre, the twenty-meter-long boat was closely observed by the maritime authorities. The boat entered the harbor at around 2 p.m.
The Prefecture of La Réunion and the CROSS (Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue) have been on alert for the past few hours.
A fishing boat from Sri Lanka arrives in Réunion on Sunday 31 July • ©Laurent Figon
At the moment there is no precise information about the voyage of this boat and the reasons for its arrival in Réunion.
In 2018, Sri Lankan migrants arrived in Reunion on makeshift boats hoping for a better life. They had fled their country’s political instability.