Migrants: two NGO ships in Italian waters, ok by the authorities

"The Humanity 1 ship will not go to Catania, it never intended to. We have not received a safe place to disembark the 179 survivors on board. We entered the territorial waters yesterday to find protection from bad weather, wind and waves. high. But we did it only after obtaining permission from the authorities of the port of Catania ".

She made it known by the NGO Sos Humanity.

"After having requested and received permission from the Italian authorities, the Geo Barents, a search and rescue ship of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), entered Italian territorial waters due to bad weather. We have been waiting for over 10 days for a safe place. landing for the 572 survivors on board. The last request to the Italian authorities dates back to last night at 22.27, and as for the others, we are still waiting for a positive response ".

This was announced by Juan Matias Gil, head of mission for MSF search and rescue operations.

ANSA agency

First measure of the government on NGO ships, only humanitarian aid - Chronicle

First inter-ministerial measure.

Humanity 1, which is entering the territorial waters in front of Catania, is ordered to stop at anchor and will be able to stay there to see health emergencies.

Norway rejects the Italian request to welcome migrants (ANSA)

There are four NGO ships that are in front of the coast of eastern Sicily waiting for a safe port to disembark the migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea.

They are the German Humanity 1, with 179 people on board, and the Rise Above, with 90 people on board after two of them were rescued by medical personnel and transferred to Syracuse;

and the Norwegian Ocean Viking, 234 migrants on board, and Geo Barents, with 572 rescued people.

According to the signals of the transponders emitted by the ships, currently the Geo Barents and the Humanity 1 are about 12 miles from the Catania coast, the first a little further south and the other north of the city.

Last night they would have moved closer to the coast to protect themselves from a violent storm that struck eastern Sicily, but then they returned to the 'waiting' position.

Still in front of the Catania coast, but near Acireale, the Ocean Viking, which, however, seems to still be in international waters, stops a few miles from their limit.

In front of the Ionian coast of Messina, further north of Taormina, the Rise Above, which is not far from the coasts of Sicily and Calabria.

All awaiting the checks announced by the Interior Ministry.