Embattled Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is not a fan of private migrant rescue missions in the Mediterranean, to say the least. Since he took office in mid-2018, there have been about a dozen prominent stand-offs between Salvini and rescue ships.
The migrant rescue charity 'Open Arms' has rejected a Spanish government offer for its vessel to dock at a Balearic Island port. It was the second offer the group rejected, citing an "urgent" and "inhumane" situation.
On Sunday, four migrants on board the Open Arms rescue vessel jumped offboard in a desperate bid to reach the Italian island of Lampedusa. Crew members of the Spanish rescue organization Proactiva Open Arms swam after them and brought them back to the ship. The Open Arms ship has been waiting for over two weeks for permission to disembark the over 100 migrants which it rescued from rubber dinghies.
Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has told the port of Algeciras to welcome migrants from a rescue boat. But a spokesperson for the Open Arms vessel declined the offer, citing an emergency situation on board.
After more than two weeks, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has allowed 27 minors to disembark a migrant rescue vessel. Others on board have not been authorized to leave the boat.
Germany and five other countries agreed to take in some 150 migrants who have been stranded on a rescue ship off Italy. The country's far-right interior minister refused to allow them to disembark for two weeks.
The private migrant rescue boat Open Arms is headed for the Italian island of Lampedusa with 147 rescued migrants on board. The green light came after a judge in Rome suspended Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's decree banning NGO vessels from Italy's territorial waters.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended private sea rescue in the Mediterranean against criticism, calling it a “humanitarian imperative.” She also said, among other things, that it wasn’t always the “poorest and weakest” who were coming to Europe. Meanwhile, the over 500 rescued migrants aboard NGO vessels Ocean Viking and Open Arms are still in limbo.
Italy's guarantor for the rights of detainees has requested clarifications from the government concerning the case of migrant rescue ship Open Arms, sparking a fiery response from the interior ministry. The Open Arms is currently stuck at sea, as both Malta and Italy have refused to let the ship enter its ports.
American actor Richard Gere visited the Spanish NGO ship Open Arms on Friday to express solidarity with the rescued migrants who have been stranded on the boat for days.
Two private migrant rescue boats - Spanish Open Arms and German Alan Kurdi - are waiting in vain for a safe harbor in the Mediterranean with 163 migrants on board. Some people need quick help: One of two pregnant women aboard the Open Arms has gone into labor. Meanwhile, the situation in the Mediterranean is becoming more confusing.
Private sea rescue organizations are struggling for their presence in the Mediterranean: Ships are seized, penalties could increase and tedious stand-offs with authorities put a strain on crews. While Sea-Eye has ended its mission for the time being, German charity Mission Lifeline has announced it is preparing a new rescue mission with a new ship.