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Stranded migrants to be taken to Spain, says French charity Stranded migrants to be taken to Spain, says French charity
(about 2 hours later)
Hundreds of migrants stranded on board the Aquarius rescue vessel in the Mediterranean will be transferred to Italian ships and taken to Spain, the French charity SOS Mediterranée has said. The hundreds of “exhausted and stressed” migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship in the Mediterranean need to be removed from the vessel immediately and allowed to recuperate in the nearest port before travelling to Spain, a leading medical charity has warned.
The 629 migrants, including pregnant women and children, were saved by SOS Mediterranée on Saturday, but the Aquarius was caught in a dramatic standoff over the weekend in which Italy and Malta refused to allow it to dock. The 629 migrants, including pregnant women and children, were saved by the French NGO SOS Mediterranée on Saturday, but the Aquarius was caught in a dramatic standoff over the weekend, in which Italy and Malta refused to allow it to dock.
“Supplies will be received shortly from an Italian vessel on to Aquarius. Plan from MRCC [the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre] Rome is that rescued people will later be transferred on Italian ships before heading together to#Valencia,” the charity said on Twitter. On Monday, Spain’s new prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the ship would be welcome into the port of Valencia, insisting the country had a “duty to help avoid a humanitarian catastrophe”.
The development comes a day after the new Spanish government headed by the Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, offered to allow the Aquarius to dock in Valencia, insisting it was an “obligation” to do so. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) applauded Sánchez’s offer but said the priority had to be the immediate disembarkation of the rescued migrants.
“MSF welcomes the important gesture of humanity from Spain to disembark in Valencia,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
“However, this would mean already exhausted people rescued at sea would have to endure four more days exposed to the elements on the deck, in an overcrowded boat already well over maximum capacity and in deteriorating weather conditions. The better option would be to disembark the rescued people in the nearest port, after which they can be transferred to Spain or other safe countries for further care and legal processing.”
The charity said it was particularly worried about several patients who had swallowed sea water, had been treated for hypothermia or who had suffered severe chemical burns.
“Disembarkation cannot be delayed further,” said Dr David Beversluis, MSF’s doctor on board Aquarius.
“The priority must be to immediately disembark all 629 people – including 123 unaccompanied minors, 11 children and 6 pregnant women – at the nearest port of safety. The medical situation on board remains stable for now but people are exhausted and stressed.”
SOS Mediterranée said the Aquarius’s crew were still awaiting the arrival of two Italian ships, which are due to take the migrants to Valencia.
“We still don’t know when we are leaving, and we still have 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) to cross with the rescued people, some of whom are in a critical condition,” said Sophie Beau, the charity’s head told Agence France-Presse.
“It is starting to get tense onboard,” she added.
In the meantime, said Beau, the Aquarius was unable to continue its usual rescue work off the coast of Libya.
“At this time the Aquarius, the biggest rescue boat in the Mediterranean, is going far from its rescue zone,” she said.
The Valencia regional government said it was expecting migrants to arrive in port “in three or four days”. Monica Oltra, the region’s vice-president, said the Red Cross was preparing to provide shelter and medical assistance to the migrants on arrival, and that other Spanish regions and cities had offered to provide longer term support.
Italy’s refusal to accept the Aquarius was the first major anti-migrant move since the far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, took office this month.Italy’s refusal to accept the Aquarius was the first major anti-migrant move since the far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, took office this month.
Authorities on the French island of Corsica also offered to host the migrants, the morning after SOS Mediterranée raised fears that the Aquarius would not be able to reach Spain safely due to deteriorating weather conditions.Authorities on the French island of Corsica also offered to host the migrants, the morning after SOS Mediterranée raised fears that the Aquarius would not be able to reach Spain safely due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Aid workers had also warned that food and drink supplied by the Maltese navy to the migrants would only last until Tuesday. The new Spanish foreign minister, Josep Borrell, has said the country is looking to push European Union leaders to address the bloc’s migration policies later this month.
“Spain has made a gesture that aims to trigger a European dynamic to stop looking away, allowing one [EU member] to cope with the problem while the rest of us pass the buck,” Borrell told Cadena Ser radio late on Monday.
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