Malta closes the port to the NGO and Sea Watch sets sail for Italy



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While Nello Musumeci is locked in a tough fight with the central government of Rome, the Sea-Watch 4 it is on the approach to Italian territorial waters. With the suspension by the TAR of the ordinance of the governor of the Sicilian Region with which the closure of the island’s hotspots and ports was ordered, the two German-flagged ships, the other is the Louise Michel, which these days They are recovering migrants off the Libyan coast and are ready to enter the country.

There are currently more than 200 migrants aboard Sea-Watch 4, recovered as part of the mission funded by the German Evangelical Church. The ship left the port of Buriana in Spain two weeks ago, with the certainty that sooner or later it would reach a safe port in Italy. The operators on board themselves declared it and now it seems that they are aiming precisely at this goal. As reported by some German media, the Sea-Watch 4 in the last hours has requested a Safe Harbor both in Malta and Italy. Valletta immediately rejected the request, although no response has yet been received from Italy. Having received denial from the Maltese authorities, Sea-Watch 4 is now sailing off the coast of Sicily, off Portopalo. It is located less than 16 nm from the border of Italian territorial waters.

All this a few hours after the reopening of Sicily ordered by the TAR in a government appeal against the order of Nello Musumeci. The governor of the Sicilian Region had moved in recent days to protect the public health of its citizens, who are increasingly concerned about the uncontrolled arrival of migrants to the coasts of the island and its archipelagos. With the Lampedusa hotspot collapsing and the others in difficulty in a time of global pandemic, Musumeci had imposed the immediate emptying of reception facilities in Sicily, simultaneously closing ports. “Sorry for those who continue speculate, even in these hours, about the civil and political battle that we wage. Look at the ‘rooms’ of the Lampedusa Hotspot. No distancing, a true gathering of men, before being emptied”Wrote the governor this morning on Facebook, who can now resort to article 31 of the regional statute to enforce his ordinance.

As Nello Musumeci struggles to ensure health security in his region, NGO protests come from the sea. “The EU must shoulder its responsibilities and enable a predictable and reliable disembarkation mechanism“said Michael Schwickart, executive director of the alliance United4Rescue. Echoes Sea-Watch 4’s COO: “The people saved on Etienne and ‘Sea-Watch 4’ have Right to a safe haven, and they need it now!“The Etienne is a Maersk merchant ship carrying 27 recovered migrants off the coast of Libya. The Danish tanker has been off Malta for 23 days.

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