Italy has allowed the German rescue ship "Alan Kurdi" to call a port in the country with 32 rescued migrants on board. The authorities assigned the ship to the port city of Pozzallo in southern Sicily, said Sea-Eye organization chairman Gorden Isler. The port would be reached soon and the rescued could be disembarked on Sunday morning.
The "Alan Kurdi" had rescued people from a crowded plastic boat in the night from Thursday to Friday. Everyone had stated that they were Libyan citizens. According to Sea Eye, there was also a pregnant woman and ten children among the people saved.
❗️BREAKING
We have a safe haven!
The news has just reached us that our #ALANKURDI will bring the 32 rescued to safety in #Pozzallo.
The unworthy endurance would be avoidable if Europe finally agreed on a predictable mechanism. pic.twitter.com/fkl1EN3J5y
In the past, private lifeboats in the Mediterranean had often had to wait a long time for a port to be assigned. Isler said: "Of course we are extremely pleased that this time things went a little faster."
A faster mechanism now seems to be emerging. "This suggests that in 2020 rescuing people from danger and moving them to a safe place will return to normal," said Isler.
The "Alan Kurdi" is to take on a new crew in Palermo and set off for the next mission in early January.
According to SPIEGEL information, several boats of the Libyan coast guard threatened the ship in October. "The crew of the Libyan coast guard fired warning shots into the water and into the air. It was a complete shock for our crew, it was life-threatening," Gorden Isler told SPIEGEL.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/ACVHT3PX6JCUJNS4ST4ZY7FO6I.jpg)
