Sea rescue: More than 140 migrants leave "Humanity 1"

More than 140 boat migrants left the German ship "Humanity 1" in the port of the Italian city of Catania.

Sea rescue: More than 140 migrants leave "Humanity 1"

More than 140 boat migrants left the German ship "Humanity 1" in the port of the Italian city of Catania. This was confirmed by a spokeswoman for SOS Humanity of the German Press Agency on Sunday morning.

The crew received permission to enter the Sicilian port on Sunday night. First of all, all the minors disembarked. All male adults initially remained on the ship and were individually medically examined by the authorities. A group of just over 30 people were not allowed to leave the ship. According to SOS Humanity, one man then collapsed and had to be taken from the ship.

Right-wing government tightens politics

The right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has tightened migration policy since taking office at the end of October, but pledged to leave the injured, women and children on land. Others would have to stay on the ships. From Rome's point of view, the flag states are responsible for the people on board. For "Humanity 1" that would be Germany.

In the newspaper "Il Messaggero" (Sunday), Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani demanded that Brussels take care of a coordinated solution. It is right to take in the sick, women and children. "We cannot turn the Mediterranean Sea into a graveyard, but we must know who is on board, where they come from and where they were taken."

As of Sunday morning, three ships belonging to private aid organizations with rescued boat migrants on board were still waiting on the east coast of Sicily for a port to be assigned. The German "Rise Above", the "Geo Barents" and the "Ocean Viking" together have around 900 people on board. Private aid organizations regularly cross the Mediterranean Sea to rescue migrants in distress who are sailing from North Africa to the EU in often unseaworthy boats.

UN figures on boat migrant deaths in the Central Mediterranean (English) Italian Interior Ministry figures on boat migrants arriving (Italian) Interview with Antonio Tajani in "Il Messaggero" (Italian)

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