The Sea-Watch 3 entered Lampedusa and the persons on board have disembarked in the harbour. The decision follows a 16 day standoff between the Italian government and the crew of the rescue ship, captained by Carola Rackette.
Around 0100h, the SeaWatch tweeted “SeaWatch3 is entering #Lampedusa harbour.
It’s been almost 60h since we declared a state of emergency. No one listened. No one took responsibility. Once more it’s up to us, to Cpt. #CarolaRackete and her crew, to bringing the 40 people to safety”
The captain was arrested M for violation of Article 1100 of the navigation code: resistance or violence against warships, a crime that can lead to a sentence of between three and 10 years of imprisonment.
The passengers were eventually allowed to disembark early on Saturday and taken to the island’s reception centre, some smiling, others in tears. The Italian coastguard then took control of the boat, moved it out of the port again and anchored it just off the coast.
The ship docked despite a coastguard boat trying to prevent her from doing so by sailing back and forth between the vessel and the pier, according to the Repubblica daily. “We put ourselves in the way to prevent (the ship) from entering the port. If we had stayed there, (the vessel) would have destroyed our speedboat,” one of the police officers said in video footage posted on social media.
Residents and activists had gathered on the pier to watch the Sea-Watch 3 dock. While a group of supporters applauded the ship and its captain, others hailed Rackete’s arrest, shouting “handcuff her”, “shame” and “get lost!”.
Earlier Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan that “I have news that three [or] four countries would be available for redistribution [sic],” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
According to Giorgia Linardi, the spokeswoman for the German charity, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Portugal are the four European Union nations which have offered to take in the people picked up at sea by Sea-Watch 3.
Germany already said on Thursday it could welcome some people as part of a joint effort with other EU nations.
According to Giorgia Linardi, the spokeswoman for the German charity, Germany, France, Luxembourg and Portugal are the four European Union nations which have offered to take in the people picked up at sea by Sea-Watch 3.
Germany already said on Thursday it could welcome some people as part of a joint effort with other EU nations.
Via Ansa, TgCom, The Local
