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Italy migrants: Rescue ship captain arrested at Lampedusa port Italy migrant boat: Rescue captain accused of trying to sink police boat
(about 8 hours later)
The captain of a migrant rescue ship has been arrested at the Italian port of Lampedusa after a two-week stand-off with police at sea. Italy's far-right deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has accused the captain of a ship carrying rescued migrants of trying to sink a police boat.
Carola Rackete's vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was carrying dozens of African migrants rescued off the coast of Libya. Carola Rackete was arrested at the Italian port of Lampedusa after a two-week stand-off with police at sea.
The Italian authorities had banned it from docking, but the vessel entered the port late on Friday night. Her vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was banned from docking, but it eventually entered the port on Friday night.
Italy's far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini is taking a tough line against migrant rescue ships. On Saturday, Mr Salvini called Ms Rackete a "rich, white, German woman" who had committed "an act of war".
Ms Rackete's decision to enter the port without permission brought an end to a prolonged stalemate with Italy's coastguard. "She tried to sink a police launch with officers on board at night," he said. "They say 'we're saving lives', but they risked killing these human beings who were doing their job, it's clear from the videos."
The 31-year-old German was filmed being led away by police in handcuffs. Mr Salvini added: "A vessel weighing hundreds of tonnes tried to ram... a police launch with officers aboard, who managed to get out of the way to save their lives. That's a criminal act, an act of war."
She was arrested for "resisting a war ship" that would not allow her access to the port, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI. Ms Rackete could face a 10-year jail term if convicted of attacking a police boat.
The vessel had rescued 53 migrants off the coast of Libya on 12 June. Italian authorities had already taken in 13 of them for health reasons. She had rescued 53 migrants off the coast of Libya on 12 June, who were drifting on an inflatable raft in the Mediterranean sea.
At the G20 summit in Japan on Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said several EU countries had agreed to take in the 40 remaining migrants on board the ship. After docking in the Italian port, the 31-year-old German was filmed being led away by police.
In the meantime, it is not clear what Italian authorities intend to do with them. Some 13 migrants have been taken in by the authorities for health reasons, while Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told the G20 summit that several EU countries had agreed to take in the 40 remaining migrants.
Mr Salvini wants clarity on "numbers, timelines and means" before he allows them off the ship, interior ministry sources told AFP news agency.Mr Salvini wants clarity on "numbers, timelines and means" before he allows them off the ship, interior ministry sources told AFP news agency.
He previously said the migrants could only disembark if they headed straight to the Netherlands, where the Sea-Watch 3 is registered, or to Germany.He previously said the migrants could only disembark if they headed straight to the Netherlands, where the Sea-Watch 3 is registered, or to Germany.
For two weeks, Sea-Watch 3 was unable to come ashore after picking up the stricken migrants drifting in an inflatable raft in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ms Rackete said Sea-Watch had tried to co-operate with the authorities, engaging with Italy, Germany, Malta and France and opening contacts with the European Commission.Ms Rackete said Sea-Watch had tried to co-operate with the authorities, engaging with Italy, Germany, Malta and France and opening contacts with the European Commission.
However, after two weeks in limbo, Sea-Watch, a German charity, said the boat was forced to enter Italian waters since there was no other option left to ensure the migrants' safety. However, after two weeks in limbo, the German charity Sea-Watch said the boat was forced to enter Italian waters, as there was no other option left to ensure the migrants' safety.
"It's been almost 60h since we declared a state of emergency. No one listened. No one took responsibility. Once more it's up to us, to Cpt. #CarolaRackete and her crew, to bringing the 40 people to safety," Sea-Watch said on Twitter. "We declared a state of emergency. No one listened. No one took responsibility. Once more it's up to us, to Cpt. #CarolaRackete and her crew, to bringing the 40 people to safety," Sea-Watch said on Twitter.