The situation on the Open Arms rescue boat owned by the Spanish non-governmental organization of the same name, which has been stranded near the Italian island of Lampedusa with more than a hundred migrants from Africa aboard, is "explosive," the chief prosecutor of Italy's Agrigento city said on Tuesday, adding that "maximum" efforts are being put into ensuring the safety of the people on board
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2019) The situation on the Open Arms rescue boat owned by the Spanish non-governmental organization of the same name, which has been stranded near the Italian island of Lampedusa with more than a hundred migrants from Africa aboard, is "explosive," the chief prosecutor of Italy's Agrigento city said on Tuesday, adding that "maximum" efforts are being put into ensuring the safety of the people on board.The Open Arms rescue ship has been anchored off Lampedusa for close to three weeks amid the reluctance of Italian authorities to let it dock. As the situation protracted, several migrants were reported to have thrown themselves into the sea in a bid to swim their way to the shore, while many others have suffered from panic attacks and attempted suicide.
"The commitment and attention are maximum to ensure the safety of the persons on board," Patronaggio was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency and added that the situation on board was "explosive."
Patronaggio said he planned to travel to Lampedusa by helicopter to monitor the situation and "restore calm so that no one gets hurt."
The Open Arms boat has taken the migrants aboard after rescuing them from the Mediterranean Sea, one of the most popular but dangerous irregular migration routes to Europe.
On Sunday, Spain offered the boat to dock at its port in Algeciras, but the Proactiva Open Arms non-governmental organization, to whom the boat belongs, said that the humanitarian situation on the ship was dire and that the passengers and crew would not make the five day journey to the Spanish port. Six other European countries have reportedly agreed to take in the Open Arms migrants.
Last week, an Italian court ruled to remove the ban on migrant rescue boats and allowed Open Arms to enter national waters. At the time, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini threatened to fine charities rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean up to $1.1 million and confiscate the ships.
