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Refugees on board the "Geo Barents": More than 200 people on the ship
Photo:
Salvatore Cavalli / dpa
According to the United Nations, more than 600 people are still waiting to go ashore off the Italian coast.
Two sub-organizations of the United Nations have therefore now appealed to European states to find a solution for the refugees on board.
"A solution is urgently needed for all remaining survivors on all four ships at sea," said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR on Monday.
States in the region should provide a safe place for refugees to disembark.
In principle, due to the explosive situation and the many drowned people, a meaningful division of responsibilities between all affected states is urgently required.
The Italian authorities recently let around 360 boat people from the sea rescue ship "Geo Barents" go ashore.
214 people would have to stay on board, said the aid organization Doctors Without Borders, which operates the ship.
The German "Humanity 1" is still in Catania with 35 refugees on board.
According to the UN, around 300 people are waiting on two other ships.
Rome's new right-wing government only wants to let those in need ashore.
According to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, the rest should return to international waters with sea rescuers.
Italy sees the flag states as responsible and therefore also Germany.
The aid organizations argue that according to international law, those who have been rescued can board the ship at the nearest safe port.
SOS Humanity announced that it would take legal action against the Italian government.
"Humanity 1" captain Joachim Ebeling defied the authorities' request to leave the port.
All survivors have the right to disembark in a safe haven, Ebeling said on Monday.
He will not go anywhere with the people on board.
Three people jump into the docks
Meanwhile, the situation on the "Geo Barents" is coming to a head.
Three of the refugees jumped into the harbor of Catania on Monday afternoon to get to the mainland.
They were pulled out of the water by the Coast Guard.
According to media reports, they were unharmed
sol/dpa
