African Nation: Apprentice Sailors and Crew Members

african nation: The captain and eight crew members spent two days in detention before Turkish Cypriot authorities halted their probe and ordered them deported Thursday, according to Metro News. But Defend Europe spokeswoman Alessia Uanetto denied the boat was carrying immigrants trying to reach Italy illegally. The Sri Lankans informed Turkish Cypriot authorities that the ship picked them up from the east African nation of Djibouti, Pasha told The Associated Press. She said the 20 were apprentice sailors who were bribed by non-governmental organizations at the airport in north Cyprus to claim they were asylum-seekers. She refused to identify the nationalities of the 20, but said five individuals claimed they were refugees. Uanetto told the AP that 15 of them refused the alleged bribes and boarded planes in north Cyprus to return home because their apprenticeships had ended. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.