Sassoli urges action on Open Arms

(ANSA) - Brussels, August 8 - The president of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, on Thursday addressed a letter to the president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker to demand action in the case of Spanish NGO ship Open Arms with 120 migrants onboard.
    Sassoli asked to "coordinate quick humanitarian intervention" with an "equal redistribution of migrants", who were rescued off Libya.
    "The situation is serious and deserves prompt action", wrote Sassoli. The Open Arms ship, currently off Lampedusa, has been waiting seven days to be assigned a port of safety to dock at.
    On Wednesday, the Spanish NGO said its search-and-rescue vessel may enter Italian waters if it needs to.
    Under a new decree approved by the Italian parliament, the commanders of ships who rescue people at sea and take them into Italian waters without permission face fines of up to one million euros and the impoundment of the vessel.