The “Sea-Watch 3” with almost 260 people on board reached the port of Trapani on the west coast in the morning. The “Ocean Viking” with around 550 rescued migrants is allowed to Pozzallo in the southeast, as the organization SOS Méditerranée announced.
The teams of the two ships had previously rescued the migrants from distress in the central Mediterranean. Most of the refugees leave the coasts of Libya or Tunisia to reach the EU. The boats are often overcrowded and in distress. According to the United Nations, more than 1,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year. The organization Doctors Without Borders is currently traveling in the region with the ship “Geo Barents”.
The helpers recently reported that many migrants were mentally and physically exhausted. Many would get seasick. For medical reasons, some migrants were allowed to go ashore beforehand. According to the aid organization, there are also 118 minors on board the “Ocean Viking”. It is planned that the total of about 550 migrants disembark in Pozzallo on Sunday. Before that, they should be tested for the corona virus.