Large part of migrants on aid ships still allowed in Italy

Many of the migrants who drifted off the Italian coast for more than a week on the humanitarian ship Humanity 1 finally disembarked in the port of Catania. The new right-wing Italian government had previously refused to take in the refugees.

144 of the 179 migrants were allowed to disembark in the Sicilian port city. A medical examination determined that they are in fragile health, a condition that Italy sets to receive the people. The other 35 migrants are in too good health to disembark according to Italy.

After the refugees disembarked, the boat was asked to leave the port, according to the humanitarian organization SOS Humanity. The captain of the ship refuses. He only wants to sail when all the migrants have disembarked.

A group of activists stands up for the remaining migrants on board the ship:

The new Italian government believes that organizations helping to rescue Mediterranean migrants should look to the countries whose flag they fly. In the case of Humanity 1, it is Germany.

The German Foreign Minister had already asked Italy before the weekend to disembark the migrants. Humanitarian organizations call the new migrant selection policy illegal and inhumane.

The policy of the new Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni can also count on criticism in Italy. According to the opposition, these decisions violate human rights and international rules. Left-wing politician Aboubakar Soumahoro says the new government is playing a political game on the backs of women, children and traumatized people.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stresses that the selection process is important. In this way, it would be studied where the refugees come from and how they go. “We cannot turn the Mediterranean into a graveyard, but we need to know who is on board and where they come from.” He asks Brussels to find a solution to the problem of migrant boats.

Three other ships are moored off the Italian coast, with around 900 refugees on board. The charity ship Geo Barents, sailing under the Norwegian flag with almost 600 refugees on board, has now also been asked to enter the port of Catania. These migrants are also medically examined. After that, it will probably be determined whether they can land or not. The other two boats must remain at sea for the time being.

The ships of humanitarian organizations bring only a small part of the migrants to safety at sea. More than 6,000 other migrants have reached the Italian coasts on their own in the last ten days. Some are removed from the water by the Italian authorities.

The number of migrants fleeing to Italy has increased sharply compared to last year.