An odyssey comes to an end for the crew and the rescued refugees on board the “Rise Above”: Italy approves the docking of the rescue ship in Reggio Calabria. Unlike other ships in the past few days, all 89 people are allowed to leave the ship.
The rescue ship "Rise Above" of the German organization Mission Lifeline has docked in a port in Italy. "The odyssey of 89 rescued and nine crew members on board seems to be over," the organization said. The Italian authorities had previously allowed the "Rise Above" to enter the port of Reggio Calabria.
A little later, the authorities approved that all migrants could go ashore. Unlike on two other boats in the past few days, the Italian authorities did not refuse any of the rescued to leave the ship this time.
The “Rise Above” took in 95 people, including several babies, during three rescue operations in the Mediterranean last Thursday. Two people were disembarked on Saturday and four on Sunday for medical reasons.
Italy's new government under the ultra-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced a restrictive course in dealing with boat people. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi believes that the countries flying the flags of the rescue ships are responsible for the rescued migrants on board.
After weeks at sea, the German-flagged ship "Humanity 1" of the organization SOS Humanity was allowed to dock in Catania on Sicily on Sunday. 144 people, mainly minors and women, were allowed to go ashore. 35 men had to remain on board.
The "Geo Barents", which is operated by the aid organization Doctors Without Borders and sails under the Norwegian flag, also entered the port of Catania on Sunday evening. Italian authorities allowed 357 migrants, including children, to disembark, while 215 others had to remain on board.
The Italian authorities have still not assigned a port to the "Ocean Viking", which is also registered in Norway and is operated by the aid organization SOS Méditerranée. The ship was off Syracuse off Sicily on Tuesday morning. For the 234 rescued on board, the situation was "unbearable," said SOS Méditerranée. After 17 days on board, the psychological stress was great, many of those rescued suffered from insomnia, anxiety and depression.
