Italy is carrying out tests on 180 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean with a view to transferring them to a quarantine vessel in Sicily, an Interior Ministry source said on Saturday. The migrants have been on the Ocean Viking ship operated by SOS Mediterranee for more than a week, with fights and suicide attempts on board prompting the charity to declare a state of emergency on Friday. The Ocean Viking, which has been in limbo in the Mediterranean south of Sicily, has been waiting for permission from Italy or Malta to offload the migrants at a safe port. The migrants, who include Pakistanis, North Africans, Eritreans, Nigerians and others, were picked up after fleeing Libya in four separate rescues by the Ocean Viking on 25 and 30 June. The migrants include 25 minors, most of whom are unaccompanied by adults, and two women, one of whom is pregnant.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 04, 2020 22:30 UTC