The NGO ‘Sos Humanity’ ship Humanity 1 arrived in the port of Catania on Saturday night, with 179 shipwrecked people on board.
As provided for in the new decree, a health inspection has been carried out to identify frail women and children, the only ones who are allowed to disembark.
According to the NGO, at the end of the inspection there are 35 shipwrecked, and not 24 as mentioned above, who remain on board the ship. They are adult men, without medical problems. 144 of the 179 migrants who were on board the ship would therefore have landed in Catania.
“The first to disembark were minors and young children accompanied by mothers. Checks are still underway, but Catania has not been assigned to us as a safe harbor,” explained Petra Krischok, spokeswoman for Sos Humanity, speaking to journalists at the Levante pier after the first migrants were taken off the NGO ship.
“I’m not the captain, I don’t decide – he added – but leaving the port of Catania if they didn’t disembark all the migrants who are on board the ship would be illegal, because they are all refugees.” At the port, in addition to the staff of the Coast Guard, there are also law enforcement, ambulances, Civil Protection volunteers and urban buses, which were used for the transport of people disembarked to the Palaspedini, the sports hall of Piazza Spedini.
“The structure – confirms Marco Romano of the Civil Protection of the Municipality of Catania – is ready to welcome all guests present on Humanity 1. Even if the rumor takes hold that more NGO ships should arrive in Catania tomorrow, we will try to give the maximum of hospitality as always”.
