Interior ministry sources on
Thursday said the ministry had granted permission for women,
children and sick people to land from the Italian NGO migrant
rescue ship Mare Jonio, "as we have always done in the past".
"A ban remains confirmed on entering and landing for a ship
that doesn't respect laws and provokes a state of necessity on
board to land in Italy," it added.
The Mare Jonio on Wednesday morning completed the rescue of
98 migrants from a dinghy that had been drifting off Libya.
Among those rescued are 26 women, at least 8 of whom are
pregnant, 22 children under age 10 and at least 6 other minors.
Outgoing interior minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday signed
an order banning the Mare Jonio migrant rescue ship from
entering Italian waters with its 98 rescued migrants.
The order bans the Mare Jonio from entering, transiting or
stopping in Italian waters, according to his closed ports policy
for NGO rescue ships.
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli later countersigned the
ban, and Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta followed suit.
Mediterranea Saving Humans, the Italian NGO running the ship,
said the Italian coast guard had asked Italian authorities for a
safe port for the vessel.
Mediterranea Saving Humans said earlier on its request for
instructions regarding the rescue of 98 migrants earlier in the
morning by its Mare Ionio ship, that the Italian sea rescue
coordination center had responded ''as always'' to speak to the
Libyan authorities.
The NGO replied on its Facebook page that they could not
speak to the forces of a country in a civil war, where there is
torture and inhumane treatment, on the future of people rescued
and now on an Italian-flagged ship whose safety had thus become
their responsibility.
The NGO added that they had reiterated their request to the
Italian authorities for instructions that are compatible with
the international Law of the Sea and human rights laws.
Trenta, the defence minister, earlier urged Salvini not to
"cancel the right to rescues."
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