They are exhausted but relieved to have finally arrived in Europe. In single file, surgical mask on their faces and carrying their meager belongings in a backpack given to them on their arrival on the Ocean Viking, 180 migrants began to leave this ambulance boat around 11.40 p.m. Monday, July 6 in Sicily.

They are mainly Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, North Africans or Eritreans who fled Libya and who found themselves stranded for nine days at sea. The Italian maritime authorities had authorized Sunday the ship of the NGO based in Marseille SOS Méditerranée, aboard which an AFP journalist is on board, in the Sicilian port of Porto Empedocle.

The migrants' journey is far from over, however: because of the coronavirus, they should be placed in quarantine for at least two weeks on the Moby Zaza ferry, moored a hundred meters from the Ocean Viking.

Since morning, the migrants of the Ocean Viking have been waiting for this landing in Sicily while looking at the coast from the deck of the boat. "I am very happy that we have finally found a safe place for a safe life," said Mohammad Irshad, a Pakistani man happy to be able to celebrate his 23rd birthday soon in Italy. "It was very difficult in Libya and I can't even explain the joy we feel today, it's just incredible".

Lack of European "solidarity"

The wait in recent days to be allocated a port of disembarkation had created great tensions, with in particular physical threats to the SOS Mediterranean team emanating from a small group of North Africans who had pushed the NGO to declare Friday a state of emergency for the first time in its history. "The unnecessary delay in this landing put lives in danger," said SOS Mediterranean, deploring in particular the absence of European "solidarity".

The resumption of Ocean Viking activity took place against a background of strong resumption of crossings of the central Mediterranean. And Italy fears that the largest contingent of humanitarian ships will arrive.

The mayor of Porto Empedocle demanded Monday before the journalists massed on the port the sending of the army to "protect the citizens", deploring the arrival of migrants while Sicily, poor province of the extreme south of the Italy, suffered greatly from the confinement.

"The image given to Italians and internationally is negative with the many cases of coronavirus. Here [in Sicily], we have made considerable efforts to ruin ourselves economically to avoid contamination. There are none not here. My municipality sees its image tarnished "at the moment when it counts on the resumption of the tourist season to restart its activity, added Ida Carmina.

With AFP

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