The humanitarian ship has not been authorized by Italy to land the 230 survivors, blocked on board for more than fifteen days.
Le Monde with AFP
“Faced with the silence of Italy”, SOS Méditerranée asked France on Tuesday, November 8, to assign a safe port for the landing of 234 survivor migrants blocked on board the Ocean Viking ship for eighteen days, announced the NGO in a press release. The humanitarian ship, which was still sailing Tuesday morning off the Sicilian port of Syracuse according to a photographer on board, “is going to France by west of Sicily,” said SOS Méditerranée, Sophie Sophie Beautiful.
The Ocean Viking is the last migrant boat, who are trying to join Europe crossing the Mediterranean from Libya, not having had any authorization to enter an Italian port.
“We are in a total impasse”, explained Sophie Beau, also denouncing “cases of serious violations of maritime law” coming from Italy, which refuses certain migrants, “endangering certain people who throw themselves to the water “. Tuesday, “the situation aboard the Ocean Viking reached a critical threshold”, according to Sophie Beau, even fearing “the risks of loss of human life”.
The trip to arrive in France will be at least two days, she recalled, repeating that the NGO wishes “the establishment of a lasting mechanism between the member states of the European Union to give a framework Clear to Mediterranean survivors “.
” Frustration goes on board “
After weeks at sea, the shipping ship of Germany 1, of the NGO SOS Humanity, was authorized to dock on Sunday November 6 in Sicily, in Catania, to disembark one hundred and forty-four people, mainly women and minors. On board, however, remain thirty-five men whose Italy does not want and who have been observing a hunger strike for two days according to the NGO.
Die 35 year edge der #Humanity1 Verbliebenen Geretteten Haben Mitgeteilt, Dass Sich Die Mehrheit von Ihnen Seit Rund… https://t.co/f8vf7bwr8g
The Geo Barents, ship of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) beating Norwegian pavilion, also accosted on Sunday evening in Catania and the Italian authorities authorized 357 people to disembark, including children, while refusing entry to 215 others. The NGO denounced this situation on Twitter on Monday, pointing that “frustration rises on board”.
⚫️ While the Italian Authorities Turn A Blind Eye to the Fate of People, frustration is Raising Aboard #Geobarents.… https://t.co/16o6jqx0wn
In the past, in June 2018, the Aquarius, the previous ship chartered by SOS Mediterranean, had already been at the heart of a diplomatic crisis, after having recovered 630 migrants off Libya, landed in Spain after the refusal of Italy and Malta to accept them.