two ships that rescued nearly 330 migrants authorized to disembark in Sicily

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The NGOs Sea-Eye and SOS Méditerranée were awaiting the assignment of a reception port.

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Two aid ships which rescued nearly 330 migrants in the Mediterranean have been authorized to disembark in Sicily, announced Sea-Eye NGOs (link in german) and SOS Méditerranée which charters these boats. The Sea-Eye 4 landed 214 people on Friday 24 December in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo. “All have tested negative for the coronavirus”, said a spokesperson for the German NGO. The ship had rescued 223 people in waters under Maltese responsibility during four operations on December 16 and 17. Nine people had to be evacuated for medical reasons pending the assignment of a reception port.

For its part, the Ocean Viking had not yet landed Friday at the end of the day, but did get the green light to do so: “The Italian maritime authorities informed us that we would be allowed to disembark in Trapani, Sicily”, tweeted the Marseille-based NGO SOS Méditerranée, expressing “immense relief on board”. Thursday, she had asked for a safe port where to disembark in front of the “signs of fatigue, exhaustion and anxiety” in the people rescued and the “cold and permanent humidity” on the boat. The Ocean Viking, chartered by SOS Méditerranée in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), rescued 114 people on December 16, including minors and two newborns who were were on an inflatable boat in distress in international waters off Libya.


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