[HIGHLIGHTS] Italy: Authorities leave 599 migrants rescued from distress at sea only in port 40 hours away

599 migrants have been rescued from an overcrowded ship off Sicily. On land, however, they are only allowed in the distant port of Bari.

Aid agencies have in the past accused the right-wing Italian government of complicating rescue operations by sending ships to far-flung ports. Since the beginning of the year, more than 47,000 migrants have arrived in Italy, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior. In the same period last year, there were around 18,000.