Italian authorities have authorized the disembarkation in the port of the city of Bari, on the east coast of Italy and off the waters of the Adriatic Sea, of a total of 261 migrants rescued by the German NGO SOS Humanity.
As confirmed by the German organization itself, the disembarkation authorization has raised doubts among the crew of the ‘Humanity 1’ due to the more than 300 nautical miles that separated Bari from its location, near Sicily.
However, despite the adverse weather forecast, the captain of the ‘Humanity 1’ set course for the city of Bari so that the more than two hundred migrants could finally disembark on dry land.
SOS Humanity has expressed surprise at the relative speed with which the Italian authorities have assigned a port for the disembarkation of migrants, considering the long waits they have experienced in the past.
Italy’s new government, headed by the far-right Giorgia Meloni, has promised to be stricter with these permits, which has already recently resulted 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).
