The NGO rescue ship Sea Eye 4 arrived
in Reggio Calabria on Sunday and disembarked the 144 migrants
and refugees on board.
The group includes 20 unaccompanied minors, 2 newborn babies and
several family groups.
They had been rescued by the German NGO off the coast of Libya
in two separate operations on Thursday morning and Friday
afternoon, respectively involving a group of 84 people from
Gambia, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali,
Senegal and Ghana and a group of 60 people from Syria, Egypt,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan and Burkina Faso.
For this reason, the ship could be impounded under rules
forbidding multiple rescues by civilian rescue ships operating
in the central Mediterranean introduced by Interior Minister
Matteo Piantedosi at the start of last year.
However, Prefect Clara Vaccaro, who was present at the
disembarkation, said this was "not the priority right now".
"The important thing is that they have landed and that we now
get them sorted," said Vaccaro.
"The rest will come in due course.
Everything that needs to be
done from an administrative point of view will be done," she
added.
Last week another, migrant rescue ship, the Humanity 1, was
placed under administrative detention for 20 days in the
Calabrian port of Crotone in relation to the rescue of 77
migrants and
refugees from three small boats in distress on grounds the crew
allegedly failed to act under the coordination of the Libyan
authorities, which Italy claims were responsible for the
operation.
For its part, SOS Humanity said the rescue took place in
international waters and that it had been successful despite
"the violent and illegal intervention of the so-called Libyan
coast guard".
"Numerous people threw themselves into the water in panic and
the coast guard fired a shot into the water," said the NGO in a
statement.
This is the second time the Humanity 1 has been impounded in
Crotone since December, when it was accused of obstructing the
Libyan coast guard while rescuing 200 people.
Migrants and refugees intercepted or rescued by the Libyan
coastguard and returned to Libyan shore face detention and
maltreatment including torture and abuse.
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