Spanish fireman faces 20 years in prison for rescuing migrants at sea

Italian authorities have accused Miguel Roldán of aiding human traffickers after he helped save thousands of people from drowning in the Mediterranean.

• NACHO SÁNCHEZ
• El Pais
• English version by Asia London Palomba.

It is June 2017, and firefighter Miguel Roldán has been working for 18 hours on a migrant rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea.

A phone call warns him that another migrant boat is sinking.

It is past 10pm and completely dark. He sets out with two of his colleagues in a small boat to find the drowning migrants.

They sail 200 meters, turn off the boat’s engines and follow the screams for help.

They find the migrants within 10 minutes, but…

• Spanish fireman faces…