The rescue ships ‘Humanity 1’ and ‘Geo Barents’ have disembarked more than 500 migrants in Italy over the past few hours after being given safe harbor in operations that have gone much faster than previous disembarkations following NGO criticism of the Italian government for its slowness or sometimes refusal to grant permits.
The ‘Humanity 1’, of the Berlin-based association SOS Humanity, arrived on Sunday in the city of Bari, in the Adriatic Sea, where the 261 people on board were able to disembark.
For its part, the Norwegian-flagged ‘Geo Barents’ of Médecins Sans Frontières docked in Salerno, south of Naples, with 248 migrants. The women, men and children who left the two ships had been picked up by dinghies and wooden boats in various operations off the Libyan coast.
«After this difficult experience, all they need now is to receive proper care and protection. We wish them all the best for the rest of their journey,» MSF mentions on its Twitter account.
For its part, the crew of the ‘Humanity 1’ has noted 93 minors on board, most of them unaccompanied by adult family members. Many show signs of torture and some have reported sexual abuse. The organization mentioned Syria, Egypt, Cameroon and Ivory Coast as countries of origin, according to statements reported by DPA.
Italy’s new government, headed by the far-right Giorgia Meloni, had promised to be stricter with these permits, which has already resulted recently in a crossing of another ship, the ‘Ocean Viking’, to France. At least 1,362 people have died this year in the central Mediterranean area alone, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
