• Medical inspection on the Open Arms: tired and tried. There are no relevant pathologies
  • Open Arms, 27 unaccompanied minors landed in Lampedusa
  • Message of Pope Francis at the Rimini Meeting: "Migrants and marginalized people, not numbers"
  • Open Arms, Emergency psychologist speaks: "Tortured and raped, psyche cannot last long"
  • UN: Europe allows the landing of 507 people rescued at sea

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18 August 2019After 17 days of stalemate, a turning point seems to be possible for the 107 migrants still aboard the Open Arms: the interim Spanish premier, Pedro Sanchez, offered the Iberian port of Algeciras for the landing of the ship, still standing in front of Lampedusa. This was announced by a statement from the Madrid government, which refers to the precarious situation on board.

On board inspection: tired and tried but no medical emergency
The 107 migrants who remained on the ship, after landing the 27 unaccompanied minors, are "very tired and tried by the long stay on the boat", but "particular medical conditions that are important from a medical point of view" would not have emerged. This is what emerges from the report drawn up by the Agrigento mobile squad that yesterday inspected the NGO for over three hours. The men from the mobile company of Agrigento were accompanied by the Coast Guard and two doctors from the Maritime Health Service. The report is now being examined by the Agrigento prosecutor who investigates for kidnapping and private violence. According to what has been learned, no particular critical health and hygiene issues would have emerged to trigger the emergency. The 107 castaways have been amassed for 17 days on the deck of the boat, they sleep on the ground without any mattress, they cover themselves with sheets and tablecloths, and according to the NGO they are psychologically exhausted.

Open Arms: miserable who uses 107 people as hostages
"Miserable is one who uses 107 'nameless' human beings and voluntars as hostages to make xenophobic and racist propaganda. Accomplices, all those who allow it and make fun of their pain". The Spanish NGO writes in a tweet recalling that the ship has been at sea for 17 days waiting for a safe harbor.

Day 17.
Miserable.
Miserable is who uses 107 "nameless" human beings and voluntars as hostages to make xenophobic and racist propaganda. Accomplices, all those who allow it and make fun of their pain. #unportosicurosubito pic.twitter.com/70JRocSGE2

- Open Arms IT (@openarms_it) August 18, 2019
Salvini: ong keeps them hostage to attack me
"For 17 days, instead of going to a Spanish port, these 'gentlemen' hold hostage on board immigrants (including fake sick and fake minors) just to attack and provoke me and Italy. Don't scare me, do not pity. " So on Twitter the vice premier Matteo Salvini in response to a tweet of the Open Arms NGO.

For 17 days, instead of going to a Spanish port, these "gentlemen" hold immigrants on board hostage (including fake sick and fake minors) just to attack and provoke me and Italy. You don't scare me, I feel sorry for you. I do not give up. #OpenArms pic.twitter.com/ItYi4LzgYz

- Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) August 18, 2019
The landing of 27 minors
Yesterday the first step for the solution of the stall. After the request of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, the green light was given to the unloading of 27 unaccompanied minors who were transferred to two Guardia di Finanza and Coast Guard patrol boats and then landed on the island. The 27 minors were taken by police to the hotspot in the Imbriacola district. There are 13 Eritreans, 5 Sudanese, two from Chad, two from Gambia, one from Ghana, one from Malian, one from Niger, one from Ethiopia and one from Egypt. Meanwhile, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Spain are willing to share the hospitality costs for all people on board.

Conte had written to Salvini: to disembark the children immediately
The President of the Council, Giuseppe Conte, had written a second letter to the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini, reiterating among other things the request to have the children immediately disembarked from the ship. The letter was written following the correspondence between Conte and Salvini in August.

The answer to Conte: dangerous precedent
In the letter with which he responds to the President of the Council, Interior Minister Salvini takes note of the premier's decision "to land the (alleged) minors currently aboard the Open Arms ship"; he writes that he will give, his "in spite of" and "as yet another example of loyal collaboration", provisions "to prevent obstacles being placed in the way of the execution of this" exclusive determination "of Conte; and reiterates its determination to "pursue in all the competent jurisdictional offices the claim of the regions of law" listed in the first part of the letter, "because coherently and deeply convinced of my reasons and to avoid" that the decision of the President of the Council for the Open Arms case "constitutes a dangerous precedent for all those who may consider it normal to identify our country as the sole responsible for the reception and assistance of all unaccompanied (or presumed) children taken on board in any corner of the Mediterranean or the world ".