Italian Interior Minister Luciana
Lamorgese said Thursday that the Alan Kurdi, a migrant-rescue
ship run by the Sea-Watch NGO, has been allowed to take shelter
from rough seas off Sardinia and would get the OK to dock if
conditions get worse.
The ship, which has over 130 asylum seekers on board, is
sheltering in front of the port of Arbatax.
It had been wandering around at sea for several days waiting to
be assigned a port of safety as at least four countries,
Germany, France, Malta and Italy, had been unwilling to take it
in.
"The Alan Kurdi ship is not up to taking very rough seas and
they asked to enter Arbatax and take shelter in the natural
harbour," Lamorgese told a parliamentary committee.
"We have granted shelter and we have spoken to other European
countries, which have said they are willing to take all but 25,
who would stay in Italy.
"The port is closed.. but if the sea conditions worsen, they
will be allowed to disembark, with the understanding that, even
though they must do 14 days of quarantine, they will immediately
be relocated elsewhere.
"Only 25 would remain in Italian territory".
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