The ship Ocean Viking, of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Sos Mediterranee, was detained by the Italian coastguard on Thursday for “irregularities related to the safety of shipping” after disembarking at the port of Civitavecchia with 57 rescued migrants .
The French NGO, which works to search and rescue migrants in the central Mediterranean, explained in a statement that it is “working to lift the blockade as soon as possible”.
The Coast Guard claims the blockade of the ship was due to “irregularities related to the safety of shipping, verified following onboard verification activities conducted by specialist inspectors”.
“Part of the crew did not have the necessary qualifications to manage the life-saving equipment on board”, which are “essential to face a possible emergency such as abandoning ship”, the Italian Coast Guard said.
The French NGO arrived at port in the Lazio region on Tuesday after rescuing 57 migrants and denouncing they had been attacked with machine gun fire by the Libyan coast guard.
The detention of the Ocean Viking comes five days after a security incident faced by the crew. On Friday, July 7, the Libyan Coast Guard fired shots within 100 yards of the humanitarian rescue team and the castaways, including a woman and five non- accompanied children when they tried to return to the boat,” the NGO denounced.
Co-founder and CEO of NGO Sophie Beau said the situation in the Mediterranean region is very worrying with attacks on aid workers and alarming death rates.
“The current detention has a significant impact on our ability to save lives in international waters,” said Sophie Beau.
As early as January 2022, the Ocean Viking foundered in the port of Trapani after an 11-hour inspection by the Coast Guard due to structural problems in the ship’s stern.
Since the beginning of the year, 72,387 migrants have landed on Italy’s coast, more than double the 30,939 who did so in the same period last year, according to official data.
Source: DN
