A humanitarian rescue ship stranded in the Mediterranean for days was “finally” instructed to sail to an Italian port, so that the 180 immigrants on board can be landed.
In a social media post on Sunday, SOS Mediterranee also described “relief at the #Ocean Viking” when the ship’s crew and passengers learned that the rescued migrants will be landed Monday in Porto Empedocle in Sicily.
Previously, the group said Italian medical staff had joined together to evaluate coronavirus disease, also known as COVID-19.
Ocean Viking rescued migrants in four separate operations from ships unsuitable for navigation by Libya-based human smugglers between June 25 and 30.
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AJ Exclusive: Aboard the Ocean Viking Rescue Ship | News |
Migrants include Pakistanis, North Africans, Eritreans, and Nigerians. At least 25 of them are minors, most of whom are unaccompanied. There are also two women, one of them pregnant.
After appeals to Malta and Italy for the docking permit failed, many of the migrants on board became increasingly desperate, and six of them attempted suicide for fear that no country would take them in, SOS Mediterranee said on Friday. .
Two of the six had jumped into the sea and were saved by crew members, the charity said.
The doctor who visited yesterday #OceanViking confirmed our evaluation in his official report to the authorities:
“I have been able to see tremendous psychological discomfort on the ship, such as considering the situation almost out of control, for the guests and crew.” (3/3) pic.twitter.com/vKS4DkJ9gZ
– SOS MEDITERRANEE (@SOSMedIntl) July 5, 2020
Mortal journey
It was not immediately clear whether the 180 immigrants would be held in preventive quarantine at the port, or taken to centers for asylum seekers in Sicily for the initial processing of their applications to stay in Europe.
Italy previously deployed an unused commercial passenger ferry to quarantine migrants who were rescued at sea by another charity group.
Both Italy and Malta have insisted that other European Union countries take away many of the rescued migrants, who often aspire to find work or family in northern Europe.
Migrants are smuggled through Libya in flimsy boats or rickety fishing boats. Authorities say that he is often found fleeing poverty rather than war or persecution, and is therefore not eligible for asylum.
Last year, more than 100,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean with at least 1,200 dying in the attempt, according to the International migration organization.
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Hundreds of rescued migrants arrive in Italy |
There is concern about the arrival of summer and more favorable conditions at sea may lead to increased attempts to cross the Mediterranean.
Despite diplomatic efforts by the EU authorities in Brussels to encourage countries to share the burden of care for some of the asylum seekers, only a handful of member countries have voluntarily agreed to accept some of the rescued.
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Italy declared its ports unsafe to dock with private rescue ships as it sought to contain its devastating outbreak of COVID-19.
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