Over 600 migrants, who were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea after Italy refused to let it dock, on Sunday arrived in the Spanish port of Valenica in the Aquarius charity-run rescue ship, Reuters reported.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered to take the ship in carrying 630 migrants and promised free healthcare. “It is our duty to help avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and offer a safe port to these people, to comply with our human rights obligations,” Sanchez said, according to BBC. Sanchez took over the post on June 2.
The first of three vessels transporting the group, Datillo, pulled into Valencia harbour early on Sunday with 274 migrants on board, according to the Red Cross. The Aquarius, which has been at the centre of the crisis, arrived four hours later. The third vessel, Orione, was scheduled to arrive soon.
Last week, Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refused permission to the rescue vessel to dock at the country’s ports. “France pushes people back at the border, Spain defends its frontier with weapons,” Salvini had said. “From today, Italy will also start to say no to human trafficking, no to the business of illegal immigration.”
The Italian government said it had written to Malta asking to let the vessel, Aquarius, dock there. However, Malta denied Italy’s request and said that it has nothing to do with the rescue operation.
The rescue boat had at least seven pregnant women as well as 89 adolescents and 11 children under the age of 13, AFP reported. The refugees on board come from various regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
More than 6,00,000 refugees from Africa have reached Italy in the past five years. Italy is the entry point for migrants from North Africa going to Europe.
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