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30 Oct, 2019 16:45

Migrant rescue ship ‘Ocean Viking’ arrives in Sicily after nearly 2 weeks blocked at sea

Migrant rescue ship ‘Ocean Viking’ arrives in Sicily after nearly 2 weeks blocked at sea

A humanitarian rescue ship operated by two French charities has arrived at a port in Sicily after nearly two weeks blocked at sea.

‘Ocean Viking’ arrived in Pozzallo on Wednesday morning, 12 days after it rescued 104 migrants from a rubber dinghy off Libya, AP reported. The vessel refused to comply with a Libyan instruction to land there, as it is not considered a place of safety.

On Tuesday, a solution was reached when Italy said it would allow the migrants to disembark after Germany and France agreed to take them in. SOS Mediterranee, one of the charities that operates the ship, has expressed relief at the agreement, adding that it was only an ad hoc solution.

The migrants were from eight countries, including Bangladesh, Sudan and Nigeria.