Outgoing interior minister Matteo
Salvini on Wednesday signed an order banning the Mare Jonio
migrant rescue ship from entering Italian waters with its 100
rescued migrants.
The order bans the Mare Jonio from entering, transiting or
stopping in Italian waters, according to his closed ports policy
for NGO rescue ships.
Mediterranea Saving Humans, the Italian NGO running the ship,
said the Italian coast guard had asked Italian authorities for a
safe port for the vessel.
Mediterranea Saving Humans said earlier on its request for
instructions regarding the rescue of 98 migrants earlier in the
morning by its Mare Ionio ship, that the Italian sea rescue
coordination center had responded ''as always'' to speak to the
Libyan authorities.
The NGO replied on its Facebook page that they could not
speak to the forces of a country in a civil war, where there is
torture and inhumane treatment, on the future of people rescued
and now on an Italian-flagged ship whose safety had thus become
their responsibility.
The NGO added that they had reiterated their request to the
Italian authorities for instructions that are compatible with
the international Law of the Sea and human rights laws.
The Mare Jonio on Wednesday morning completed the rescue of
the 98 people from a dinghy that had been drifting off Libya.
Among those rescued are 26 women, at least 8 of whom are
pregnant, 22 children under age 10 and at least 6 other minors.
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