Open Arms Ship Rescues 300 Migrants in The Mediterranean Sea

The Spanish Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Open Arms rescued around 300 migrants from three small vessels in the middle of the Central Mediterranean Sea on Friday, according to NGO director Oscar Camps, on Twitter.

کد خبر: ۸۶۲۵۹۶

تاریخ: ۰۱ دی ۱۳۹۷ - ۰۸:۴۲

According to the information given by Camps, among the people rescued from the two boats at risk of sinking, there were "More than 200 people, men, pregnant women, children, babies." Two hours later, Camp also announced that the NGO had rescued 90 people from a third vessel.

"This time 29 women, 5 children and 56 men, with some minors, signal the success of the policies of silence, or save lives or shut up their deaths," he said. Camps noted the bitter situation of migrants trying to get to Europe took place in very precarious conditions, and said that "in the Mediterranean Sea there is no Christmas."

"This is the fourth Christmas at sea, 4 years, a World Cup and ... no, It's not the same, now we are prosecuted, for the terrible crime of saving lives in the sea."

Right-wing anti-immigrant Italian Interior Minister, Mateo Salvini, has stated on different occasions that his country will not allow the disembarkment of immigrants on their ports. This again causes a problem to the NGO and its ship. The problem for the NGO will arise with the issue of where to disembark the almost-300 immigrants, since Salvini is not be willing to authorize the arrival of the ship to Italy.

An Italian immigration law, known as the 'Salvini Decree,' passed in early December, limiting ‘humanitarian protections.' The law takes Salvini and his nationalist Lega Nord coalition one step closer to fulfilling a campaign promise to deport over half a million “illegal immigrants” residing in the European country

The Open Arms ship set sail from Barcelona several days ago, to return to the Central Mediterranean Sea, in accordance with an alliance with other organizations to save lives again. "This is the fourth Christmas at sea, 4 years, a World Cup and ... no, It's not the same, now we are prosecuted, for the terrible crime of saving lives in the sea," tweeted Camps earlier in December.