Welcomed by the cry “Welcome to Italy” of some activists of Mediterranea Saving Humans, the ship of the NGO SOS Mediterranée Ocean Viking with 113 migrants on board docked in the port of Ravenna in the late afternoon today.
After an initial phase of health checks, the passengers were disembarked and subjected to further medical and bureaucratic checks.
On site at the time of the ship’s arrival, several representatives of the local administration including the mayor Michele De Pascale and 300 men and women including doctors and health workers, members of the Red Cross, firefighters and law enforcement agencies.
The group also includes 34 unaccompanied minors: the youngest, just 17 days old, is the son of an 18-year-old woman, one of whom spent in Libya before fleeing.
“In his short life, he spent one day at sea where he could have died at any moment. It is absurd to know that people have no choice but to risk their lives and those of their children to flee Libya,” says the communication officer on board.
Numerous heated facilities have been arranged along the platform to support the migrants once they get off. Two 118 tents have been set up for any serious cases, three normal visit clinics and two separate waiting areas, one for Covid cases and one for non-Covid cases.
“A ship of migrants here in Ravenna is a novelty – said the prefect – but as soon as we learned about it we got on the move and the organizational machine started. What you see here is a miracle of commitment, will and collaboration on the part of everyone”.
In the port area a banner had appeared during the night with the inscription “closed ports for safe cities” claimed by the Romagna National Movement – The Patriots Network. The president of the Emilia Romagna Region Stefano Bonaccini replied: “Those who talk about closed ports should come and see these people up close, including several children, getting off the Ocean”.
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