More than 500 migrants were taken in by Italy on Sunday when two charity rescue ships were allowed to dock at ports in the south of the nation after spending several days at sea in terrible weather. Italy has vowed to take a harsh stance on immigration.
248 refugees were on board the Geo Barents ship, which was run by the charity Doctors without Borders (MSF), when it docked in Salerno in Campania’s southwest, according to MSF.
The Italian government gave permission for the Humanity 1, which is run by SOS Humanity, to dock in the port city of Bari on the other side of the country.
In a tweet, SOS Humanity confirmed that the ship had arrived with 261 migrants on board. It also said that the trip had been very hard, with waves as high as three meters and strong winds.
The challenge for Italy’s new right-wing administration, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is how to respond to pleas for assistance from the charity boats that pick up migrants in the Mediterranean.
Last month, tensions erupted with France, a neighbor, after France took in a boat that Italy had turned away.
Sources in the Italian interior ministry say that the decision to let the two ships dock had nothing to do with a change in policy. Instead, it was made because of the bad weather and the risk to the people on board.
The charity ships are accused of aiding human traffickers and making it easier for economic migrants to go to Italy.
Sources said that the government was making new laws to protect Italy’s borders and stop people from sneaking in.
According to MSF, a 14-year-old child traveling alone was flown from the Geo Barents to Sicily after suffering from severe gastrointestinal pain.
A child was born on the same ship on Wednesday and later flown to Italy with his mother and three siblings.
(Reuters)
