Saudi Arabian coastguards rescued 278 illegal migrants of various African nationalities in the Red Sea, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The vessel carrying the migrants, including women and children, broke down due to high seas and was pushed by strong winds into Saudi territorial waters, it said. It did not say if the immigrants would be allowed to stay in the Kingdom or deported back to their respective countries. The crew of seven and the owner of the vessel were facing legal action, it said. Many migrants, mainly from Somalia and Ethiopia, often try to cross the Red Sea to neighboring Yemen to flee desperate situations of civil war, political instability, poverty and famine. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on April 23 that at least 131 have died and another 66 are presumed missing at sea since the beginning of 2009, while 387 boats carrying nearly 20,000 people have arrived in Yemen after crossing the treacherous waters.
