Mediterranean | German ship rescues 65 people in the Mediterranean

Pozzallo. The German rescue ship Sea-Eye 5 was allowed to dock in the southern Sicilian port of Pozzallo with 65 migrants on board. Many of the rescued people are women, according to Sea-Eye chairman Gorden Isler. Three people also required medical treatment for severe fuel burns; they were evacuated to Lampedusa by the Italian Coast Guard that evening.

The crew rescued the people on Saturday from an overcrowded rubber dinghy about 50 nautical miles off the Libyan coast. No information was initially provided about the origin of the rescued people. After the Sea-Eye 5 arrives in Pozzallo, the Italian authorities will consider the next steps. Typically, the rescued people are distributed among several reception centers.

Initially, Italy had assigned the German-flagged ship the more distant port of Taranto in Apulia. Due to the medical emergencies and scarce drinking water supplies, this was unreasonable, Sea-Eye stated. The organization had requested support from the Federal Foreign Office and the German Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Bremen).

At around 3:00 a.m., Italian authorities granted permission for the ship to enter the nearby port of Pozzallo. Isler criticized the move as politically motivated. Civilian rescue ships are increasingly faced with unrealistic requirements, and those unable to meet them face the threat of having their ships seized. dpa/nd