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125 boat refugees rescued from the Mediterranean can now disembark in Italy. The German rescue ship “Alan Kurdi” had received the corresponding permit for Sardinia, according to a statement from the Italian Interior Ministry on Thursday. From Sardinia, people must distribute to other European countries. 80 percent of them will be taken to other countries.
The “Alan Kurdi” of the German organization Sea-Eye had previously made his way to the port of Arbatax in Sardinia to seek protection there from an expected storm in the Mediterranean. The Interior Ministry said this had also been approved for the ship. The operators had previously announced that the “Alan Kurdi” had arrived in Sardinia and that the Italian authorities had contacted the ship for the first time after five days to “discuss ‘further coordination'”. The Italian coast guard has already landed eight refugees.
The rescue ship had originally sailed for Marseille in France after Italy and Malta refused to accept the refugees. The port city of Marseille had agreed to accept the people “without any conditions”.
Increase in the number of refugees by boat
Maritime rescue in the Mediterranean is a controversial issue. Italy and Malta often allow rescued people to stay on ships for days or weeks before they are allowed to enter a port. This year, the number of boat refugees in the Mediterranean has increased significantly. Most of the people are trying to enter the EU from Libya and Tunisia. From Libya alone, there were 90 percent more crossover attempts between January and July than in the first half of 2019.
The crossing is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 1,283 people drowned in the Mediterranean last year. In the last five years there have been more than 19,000 deaths.
