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The Spanish ship "Open Arms", which hopes with Lampedusa to disembark the 107 migrants that it has been on board for 18 days now opens to travel to some port of the Balearic Islands (the closest in Spain), if Italy and Spain " put the necessary means "to ensure safety and success.

This is indicated by a statement issued today by the NGO from the Italian island of Lampedusa, after this Sunday the captain of the humanitarian ship rejected as "unviable" the offers of the Spanish Government to sail to the Spanish port of Algeciras (first) and some from the Balearic Islands later due to the "desperate" situation that is lived on board.

"After 18 days of stagnation, Italy and Spain seem to have finally reached an agreement, identifying Mallorca as a landing port. A decision that seems completely incomprehensible to us," says the text.

Government sources chaired by Pedro Sánchez deny the existence of this agreement, reiterate their offer to disembark at "the Spanish port that is closest to their route", and ask the Open Arms to "expose their needs and those of the passage to navigate to Spain safely. " "So far we have not received a clear and direct answer," they said in a statement.

"Open Arms" reiterates the reasons that led them to reject the Spanish offer yesterday, claiming the impossibility of assuming several more days of crossing with 107 people in extreme conditions, crammed on deck with anxiety attacks, fights and even several rescued throwing yesterday by the board to try to swim to Lampedusa, 800 meters.

"With our ship 800 meters off the coast of Lampedusa, the European states are asking a small NGO like ours" to face a new journey of hundreds of miles in adverse weather conditions, with 107 people exhausted on board and 19 volunteers who have been trying to guarantee those rights that Europe denies for more than 24 days, "he adds.

"If an agreement has indeed been reached, it is essential that Italy and Spain assume the responsibility of guaranteeing, by putting the necessary means, that these people disembark in a safe harbor," said the NGO.

In the statement, the NGO also ensures that after the three rescue operations carried out between August 1 and 10, "we requested a landing port to the nearest coastal states (Italy and Malta) but we received a negative response. from both.

This Sunday, Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli of the 5 Star Movement (M5E) announced that he would put the Italian Coast Guard at the disposal of the "Open Arms" to accompany him to a Spanish port with all the necessary technical support.

The M5E maintains a different position from that of its Government partner (now in crisis), the Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini, obsessed in his refusal to allow the landing of migrants from the Spanish ship.

On Saturday, under pressure from Prime Minister Giuuseppe Conte, Salvini reluctantly authorized the landing of the 27 unaccompanied minors who were on the ship since August 1 were rescued.

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  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Open arms
  • Balearics
  • Matteo Salvini
  • Majorca
  • Europe
  • Refugees
  • Pedro Sanchez

MediterraneanMatteo Salvini, a minister with powers over the head of the Government

Immigration Pedro Sánchez's gangs aggravate the Open Arms crisis

InternacionalMatteo Salvini celebrates his blockade in Lampedusa and defines Open Arms as a "hypocritical" and "unscrupulous" NGO