Migrant Transport NGO Expects Italian Port Access for New Vessel
The German NGO Sea-Watch expects Italy to allow it access to a port as it launches its latest transport vessel, the Sea-Watch 4.
The new ship is set to take to the Mediterranean sea and head for the
search and rescue (SAR) zone off the coast of Libya as early as this
weekend. The NGO purchased it thanks to a crowdfunding campaign promoted
by the German Evangelical Church.Jacob Framann, an Austrian national and member of the ship’s crew, said according to Il Giornale: “We assume that sooner or later we will be assigned an Italian port. In theory, it might as well be Malta, but in recent months the country has resisted massively.”
When asked his motivation for taking part in the mission, Framann said: “Among other things, I studied theology and am here partly from Christian motivation. I feel uncomfortable when politicians want to isolate Europe. This is in blatant contradiction to Christian values.”
Italy Seizes NGO Vessel That Brought In Coronavirus Positive Migrants https://t.co/RRsRNcfxuT— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 11, 2020
The relationship between MSF and the French NGO soured earlier this year over disagreements on operations during the coronavirus pandemic, with MSF wanting to continue picking up migrants while SOS Méditerranée suspended operations.
The launch of the Sea-Watch 4 comes just over a month since the group’s previous vessel, the Sea-Watch 3, was seized by the Italian government over several ship “irregularities” on board.
The ship and its crew had dropped off migrants just weeks prior, with at least 28 of them testing positive for the Wuhan coronavirus.
The new NGO activity will likely aid the fresh wave of migrants arriving in Italy, which has overwhelmed the island of Lampedusa and seen many migrants test positive for the Chinese virus.
Italian Island Overwhelmed as Migrant Boats Arrive Every Hour on Average https://t.co/qXNMhvBz4E— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 27, 2020