The rescue ship Ocean Viking of aid organization SOS Mediterranée has fled to France on Tuesday. That writes the NGO in a statement. The ship had been anchored off the Italian coast for weeks, but the Italian government refused to let the migrants aboard land.
According to SOS Mediterranée, there are 234 migrants on the ship, which sails under the French flag. They would have been at sea for eighteen days. The situation on board the Ocean Viking would be degrading. For example, many migrants are said to be in poor health, there is a shortage of food and medicines and some people suffer from scabies and infections. “It is now a humanitarian emergency,” the organization wrote.
Also read: Italy receives strong criticism for the crackdown on NGO ships
With the recent appointment of Giorgia Meloni as the new prime minister of Italy, a stricter immigration policy applies in the southern European country. Ships belonging to aid organizations that help migrants in distress in the Mediterranean are no longer allowed to dock in Italian ports. Last week, a ship flying the German flag was only allowed to disembark women and children.
Two other ships were also allowed to dock after long consultations with the authorities. It is not clear why these ships were welcome and migrants on board the Ocean Viking were not. The number of migrants making the crossing from North Africa to Italy is increasing this year: nearly 89,000 people have landed in Italy so far, compared to almost 57,000 people in the same period last year.