"After an exhausting wait, Pozzallo in Sicily has finally been assigned to safely disembark the 294 survivors aboard the Ocean Viking," tweeted the NGO SOS Méditerranée on Sunday evening, after the Italian authorities gave their agreement.
"It is unacceptable that survivors are faced with such disregard for their rights," added the European association for search and rescue on the high seas, headquartered in Marseille.
These migrants were rescued during four operations off Libya and Malta carried out since May 19 by this ship chartered by SOS Méditerranée in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC ).
Among them are 49 minors, including a baby only three months old, and six pregnant women, SOS Méditerranée said in a statement.
Originally, the boat had 196 survivors, but an 8-month-pregnant woman and her husband had to be evacuated on Sunday.
The most dangerous migration route in the world
In a video shot from the ship, a medical official indicated that among the survivors, some show signs of violence suffered during their stay in Libya, others were injured during the crossing or suffer from chronic pathologies, as much conditions requiring medical treatment ashore.
The central Mediterranean is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The UN agency estimates the number of dead and missing there at least 1,553 in 2021. Since February 2016, 35,630 women, men and children have been rescued by SOS Méditerranée with the ships Aquarius then Ocean Viking.
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