The
disembarking of 1,003 people was scheduled originally for 2pm on
Tuesday, but the night before postponed to 8pm. When we arrived at
that hour, the Coast Guard vessel Diciotti was already docked, with
many of the migrants standing on the open deck next to the landing
steps. The food, clothes and shoes – provided by private entities
as usual, but distributed by volunteers – were late, and it was
only shortly before 9pm that the disembarking began. The migrants
have come originally from many different countries, including
Bangladesh, Benin, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Senegal.
