Italy allows more migrants to leave rescue boat as standoff eases

The weeks-long standoff between the far-right-led Italian government and rescue groups over the operation of rescue ships has partially eased after officials allowed all remaining migrants on two rescue ships to enter port.

But a vessel with 234 rescued migrants remains at sea, and after more than two weeks of silence with Italy, it called on France to provide it with a safe port.

Italy has allowed migrants it had previously refused to disembark at the Sicilian port of Catania to disembark Geo Barents run by Médecins Sans Frontières.

Earlier on Tuesday, all 89 migrants on a German rescue ship were allowed to disembark on the Italian mainland.

About 35 migrants rescued on the Humanity 1 ship were deemed not vulnerable by Italy and were prevented from disembarking for several days.

Despite protests by rescue groups and experts, they said that under international law, all people in distress at sea have the right to use the nearest safe port.

Italian private TV station La7 reported late Tuesday that the 35 had also disembarked, but the charity did not immediately confirm.

Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has defended Italy’s tough stance, saying voters who brought her government to power in September “demanded that we defend the Italian borders”.

“Our goal is to defend the legitimacy, safety and dignity of everyone. To do this, we need to stop illegal immigration, avoid new deaths at sea, and fight human trafficking,” she said in a Facebook post.

Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates Geo Barents, said the disembarkation of the remaining 214 migrants on board was “a huge relief after weeks of waiting”.

With its rescue vessel Viking of the Seas still sailing on the high seas 18 days after the first rescue, European rescue group SOS Mediteranee called on France to create a safe port, saying conditions on board had reached “critical limits”.

Italian authorities have ignored repeated demands on the port.

“We are facing very serious consequences, including the risk of loss of life,” said Xavier Lauth, the group’s director of operations.

“The physical and mental health of survivors and crew has been exhausted due to the blockage at sea for more than two weeks. This is a humanitarian emergency.”

Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, drafted the measures, saying two aid groups – SOS Humanity and SOS Mediteranee – did not properly coordinate their relief efforts and violated procedures to shut down Italy. The port lays the groundwork for humanitarian relief ships.

SOS Humanity, also based in Germany, confirmed on Tuesday that 35 people remained on the ship after a review process and filed expedited political asylum applications through a court in Catania.

It says the condition of those on Human One is deteriorating every day, and some have gone on a hunger strike.

Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates the ship, said two Syrian men desperately jumped into the sea from one of the boats, the Geo Berents, on Monday before a third man entered to try to rescue them.