After an eventful crossing from the North African coast, 180 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by the humanitarian ship Ocean Viking began Monday evening to land in Sicily, to be placed in quarantine.
In single file, surgical mask on the face and carrying their meager belongings in a backpack which had been given to them on their arrival on the Ocean Viking, the migrants, mainly Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, North Africans or Eritreans having fled Libya, began to leave the ambulance boat around 2340 (2140 GMT).
đź“ŚUPDATE After a day of waiting, the disembarkation of the 180 # OceanViking survivors took place shortly before midnight.
Thank you to the citizens & organizations who have supported us in recent days.
We ask the EU to facilitate the immediate landing of #Talia survivors. pic.twitter.com/wELcTMFYIa
Quarantined on a ferry
Migrants tested negative for coronavirus on Sunday by an Italian medical team were the first to be evacuated. After nine days of blockage at sea, the Italian maritime authorities had authorized Sunday the ship of the NGO based in Marseille SOS Mediterranean, on board of which is an AFP journalist, to dock 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.
For the past two weeks, this immense white ferry has welcomed 200 other migrants rescued at sea by the humanitarian ship Sea Watch, then also placed in quarantine. Thirty of them tested positive for coronavirus will remain on board in isolation in a "red zone", while 169 others were evacuated ashore Monday. The vessel was then disinfected.
Tensions on the SOS Mediterranean ship
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".
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 lack of European "solidarity".
Sicilians worried
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. Sicily, a poor province in the far south of 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 here. My town sees its image tarnished "at the moment when it counts on the resumption of the tourist season to restart its activity, added Ida Carmina.
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