The NGO ship Ocean Viking rescued 118 migrants in the Mediterranean in two separate operations on Thursday. Meanwhile, rescue ship Alan Kurdi has been released by Italian authorities but is not yet ready to set off on a new mission.
After more than three months, the private migrant rescue boat Sea-Watch 3, run by the German-based organization Sea-Watch, has set sail. Its intention: to save lives in the Mediterranean. The ship left the southern Italian port of Messina and is headed towards Libya.
The number of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean is rising. But with Europe closing its ports and halting humanitarian ships to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, activists fear the Mediterranean is becoming an overlooked tragedy.
After their rescue over the weekend, dozens of migrants on board German container ship MV Marina are reportedly in bad shape. The ship’s operator said the situation is tense and warned of a possible escalation.
The Italian coast guard has impounded the rescue ship Alan Kurdi at the port of Palermo in Sicily, saying it has found "irregularities". The German-flagged vessel arrived in Italy after rescuing 150 migrants off Libya last month and being placed under coronavirus quarantine.
A 14-day quarantine period has ended for the migrants aboard the Rubattino ferry moored off the coast of Palermo. The migrants, who have all tested negative for the novel coronavirus, are expected to leave the ship on Monday.
On Sunday, 34 migrants who had been on board the rescue ship Aita Mari, joined 146 migrants taken from another rescue ship, the Alan Kurdi, in quarantine aboard a ferry off the coast of Palermo. The migrants are expected to spend 14 days on the ferry.
Non-governmental organizations are accusing Italy and Malta of using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext for closing ports to private rescue vessels. They say the lives of migrants are being put at risk.
The Italian government has ordered that migrants rescued by NGOs at sea must spend a period of quarantine aboard a ship, without disembarking on land. The decision unleashed controversy, with associations denouncing it as a measure against NGOs.
Italy will transfer migrants from crowded rescue ship "Alan Kurdi" to another vessel where they would be kept in quarantine over coronavirus concerns, officials said. The privately owned ship has been stranded for days.
The global coronavirus pandemic is also affecting sea rescue operations. While the Alan Kurdi rescue vessel continues to look for safe harbor in the Mediterranean, the German interior ministry launched an appeal saying that private rescue missions should halt their activities for the time being during the COVID-19 crisis.
NGO ship Alan Kurdi has rescued 150 migrants from two boats off the coast of Libya. It is the only private rescue ship operating in the region right now. The coronavirus emergency could make it difficult for the ship to find a port for disembarkation.