Amman – Euronews' correspondent Anelise Andrade Borges shared her experience in covering migrant search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean while onboard the Aquarius vessel in a lecture entitled "Covering Illegal Immigration… an Experienced Journalist’s Perspective" which she gave earlier this week at the Jordan Media Institute (JMI).
Borges praised Jordan's role in supporting Syrian refugees, which she witnessed firsthand in visiting Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp, pointing out that many European countries have recently stopped providing relief aid to refugees from conflict-affected areas around the world.
Last year, Borges was aboard the Aquarius migrants’ rescue ship, along with more than 600 other passengers, as the Italian authorities refused to allow it to dock in its ports. The ship stayed in the Mediterranean around ten days until Spain finally agreed on taking it in.
On reporting stories about the humanitarian conditions onboard the Aquarius, Borges said that her goal was to give the world a glimpse into the suffering of those survivors through professional news coverage that adheres to journalistic ethics and respects the rights and dignity of the individuals portrayed without unlawfully exploiting them or invading their privacy.
During the lecture, Borges spoke of the most significant stories that she covered during her stay on the Aquarius, which mainly focused on a number of themes involving stories about young volunteers and migrants as well as women and children who travelled long distances in order to reach the European shores in hopes of a better life and a better chance at economic and social security.
In addition to having a passion for reporting and a commitment to following-up on issues that matter, Borges referred to the importance of nowadays gears –such as cameras and mobile phones– which enable journalists to do an all-inclusive job; starting with shooting and editing down to producing and delivering their news stories.
The Aquarius is one of the most important humanitarian vessels that operated as a migrants’ rescue ship in the Mediterranean. Launched in 2016, the Aquarius rescued some 30,000 people, who were in international waters attempting to reach Europe off the coasts of Libya, Malta and Italy, until it ended its missions late last year.