Over the past 48 hours, numerous boats have docked into Sicilian ports.
Whilst last night the disembarkation procedures of 361 migrants were being completed in Messina, Catania witnessed the arrival of 300 migrants, rescued by an oil tanker, and transported to the coast by tug boats. Among them there were a few women and one child.
The corpse of a migrant who had died in the crossing has been found on board, too. The surviving migrants have been moved to the Pala Spedini sports arena, where they have been identified. Today 150 of them fled. 1200 migrants, those who had previously been on the boats intercepted by the Italian navy ship “San Giorgio” on April 8 during the Operation Mare Nostrum, have docked in Augusta.
Because of the high number of migrants present on disparate vessels, the rescuing process has had to involve two mercantile ships and the Italian Coast Guard. The migrants have been taken to tensile structures set up inside the port area. Yesterday 260 migrants landed in Pozzallo, after being rescued by the Mare Nostrum ship “Espero”. Among them there were women and children. Eight of them were in critical conditions, and have been taken to the ER. All migrants have been transferred to Pozzallo’s First Reception Centre, where 6 tents have been set up for them. 1200 have landed in Porto Empedocle today, and 272 are expected from Lampedusa on the midnight ferry. Many have been transferred to the sports arenas in Racalmuto Siciliana and Favara, after being pre-identified in the port’s tensile structure – which is still closed because unsafe. Others (circa 400) are being transferred from Catania’s Fontana Rossa Airport, their destination still unknown.
The Borderline Sicilia Editorial Department
Translation: Angela Paradiso
