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The ship »Geo Barents« (icon image)
Photo: Carmelo Imbesi / picture alliance / dpa / ANSA / ZUMA Press
The organization Doctors Without Borders rescued more than 230 migrants and refugees from the Mediterranean Sea within a few hours with a rescue ship.
In three operations from Tuesday evening to Wednesday, first 69, then 61 and finally another 107 people were rescued from inflatable boats, the organization said.
Among the rescued, who are now safe on the "Geo Barents", are more than 80 minors and also a baby, it was said.
The operations were carried out in international waters near the Libyan coast.
After the first rescue, Italy assigned the ship the city of La Spezia in the northern region of Liguria as a port to dock.
The helpers criticize that they need around four days and nights to get there.
Recently, it often happened that sea rescuers were assigned to distant ports.
The helpers suspect that harassment by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is behind it in order to wear down the NGOs.
The "Geo Barents" defied the instruction to drive directly towards La Spezia after the first mission.
Because she received an emergency call, she said she turned around and came to the people's aid.
On the way to the boat, the crew discovered another emergency and took those people on board as well.
As a spokesman said, the ship then made its way north to La Spezia, around 1200 kilometers away.
Interior Minister Pietro Piantedosi accused the organizations of encouraging migrants to undertake the dangerous crossing through their operations.
"The presence of the NGOs, as luck would have it, is causing inflatable boats to cast off again," he said.
aeh/dpa
