The rescue ship “Humanity 1” of the German NGO SOS Humanity docked late Saturday evening in the port of the Sicilian city of Catania with 179 shipwrecked people on board. After an inspection by the Italian authorities, all rescued people, with the exception of 35 men, were allowed to land, SOS Humanity reports on Twitter. Before that, the NGO had reported 24 men on board. Three more ships are still waiting at a landing port in Sicily.
“A selective disembarkation is currently taking place in the port of Catania. Castaways, already exhausted by cold, fatigue, trauma and torture, are considered objects by the will of the government of Giorgia Meloni. Too bad!” wrote Greens and Italian leftist MP Aboubakar Soumahoro on Twitter while in the port of Catania. Some thirty activists, including some left-wing parliamentarians, demanded that all rescued migrants disembark at the quay.
Meloni wants to ban ships
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously described the NGO ships as “pirate ships”. She is considering banning all humanitarian rescue ships from Italian waters. Italy’s Minister for the Regions, Roberto Calderoli, spoke of “taxis from the sea” and also called for strict government training in dealing with the refugees.
Other ships not far from Sicily
The “Geo Barentsz” of the NGO Doctors Without Borders with 572 people on board is already expected for an inspection in the port of Catania. The crew reported that they had visited Italian waters due to bad weather conditions. There are 60 minors on board who can land.
The ship should arrive in Catania on Sunday.
The German rescue ship “Rise Above” with 90 people on board and the Norwegian Ocean Viking with 234 migrants are also waiting to land. They are both not far from Sicily.
Italy’s new right-wing government under Giorgia Meloni sees the ships’ flag states as an obligation to take in the rescued migrants. The government in Rome is in talks with France, which show that it is prepared to take in some refugees.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
