Open Arms boat, with over 300 migrants on board, docks in Spain (Updated)
5832 Mins Read
Update: A Spanish charity rescue ship docked in Algeciras port in southern Spain on Friday, bringing ashore more than 300 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea one week ago.
Several European countries, including Malta and Italy, had refused entry to the Proactiva Open Arms vessel although a mother and her newborn baby were taken by helicopter to Malta. Most of the 308 migrants are African and had been picked up off the coast of Libya.
Men lined up on the deck of the ship as it entered the port early on Friday, a few wearing Santa hats.
Spanish police and Red Cross staff helped the migrants to disembark. The Red Cross had set up tents on the dock to administer medical checks.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Earlier:
A Spanish charity rescue boat is due to arrive in a southern Spanish port Friday morning carrying more than 300 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya a week ago.
France 24 reports that the Open Arms is scheduled to dock in the port of Crinavis, in San Roque, just across from Gibraltar near the city of Algeciras, at 8:00 am (0700 GMT).
Proactiva Open Arms, the Spanish charity which runs the vessel, tweeted the details on Thursday.
Red Cross workers will be on hand to provide food, clothes and medical assistance to the 310 migrants on board, including people from Somalia, Nigeria and Mali. Police will identify them before moving them to shelters.
The charity operates in the sea between Libya and southern Europe, coming to the aid migrants who get into difficulties during the crossing from northern Africa.
It rescued the migrants, including pregnant women, children and babies, on December 21 from three vessels.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist government on Saturday authorised the ship to dock in Spain after Italy and Malta both refused it access.
Libya, France and Tunisia did not respond to Proactiva Open Arms’ requests for permission to dock, Madrid said.
On Saturday, a newborn baby and his mother were helicoptered from the boat to Malta, while a 14-year-old suffering from a serious skin infection was taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
