A vessel carrying 422 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya has been given permission to dock in Italy after issuing an urgent appeal for shelter from a looming storm, its operator said Sunday. NGOs have slammed the returns, arguing that Libya is not safe for the migrants. Since the Ocean Viking returned to sea on January 11 after being blocked in Italy for five months it has picked up a total of 798 people. Of 424 people who boarded the Ocean Viking on Thursday and Friday, two were flown by helicopter to nearby Malta -- a pregnant woman and her partner. More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Source: Libya Today February 07, 2021 14:23 UTC