Italy has allowed the Ocean Viking, the SOS Méditerranée sea rescue vessel, to dock in Sicily Friday, paving the way for the disembarkation of 572 rescued migrants. The NGO announced that the Ocean Viking received the greenlight from Italian maritime authorities Thursday evening. On Wednesday, SOS Mediterranee appealed to the European Union to find a safe port and disembark the migrants, who were rescued on board the Ocean Viking. The NGO raised the alarm as it said the humanitarian situation of the rescued migrants were worsening by the hour. According to the Italian Ministry of Interior, as of 7 July, 22,375 migrants have reached Italy by sea.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 09, 2021 07:41 UTC