Italy assigns Pozzallo as safe harbour as Sea Watch International supports 150 distressed people

Italian authorities assigned Pozzallo as a safe harbor after  Sea Watch International took 150 distressed on board Aurora.

Sea Watch said it had on Monday supported about 150 people in distress, “after @alarm_phone alerted us to a dinghy in distress, we immediately set out with our ship Aurora. On our way, we found another boat. We stabilized the situation until the Italian coastguard arrived.”

Meanwhile, Sea Watch said “the civil sailboat Dakini reached the people in distress we had been searching for initially. When we arrived, we took all the people on board our Aurora. Italy assigned us Pozzallo as a safe harbour, but worsening weather made the long journey too dangerous.

“Only after hours, we were allowed to bring everyone safely to Lampedusa – late, but alive. The civil fleet is working. What is missing? A European sea rescue program. Safe passage and freedom of movement for all!

“Our air crew just spotted a rubber boat with ~40 people in distress in the central med. The waves are high and water is entering the boat, the situation is critical! THEY NEED HELP IMMEDIATELY!”

Sea Watch added: “Frontex aircraft flew in the area earlier today. Only after our mayday relay did Italy  feel pressured to issue one, yet, dismissing its responsibility, it issued the distress relay in the name of West-Libyan militias. The weather worsens. The people need a port of safety!

“Not only are the authorities failing to take action, but they are also preventing others from rescuing. The civil rescue ship Nadir is blocked in Lampedusa under administrative detention, just a few kilometres away from 40 people at risk of drowning.

“We are very happy to hear that sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean are running smoothly for #Frontex officials.”