Families with children saved in the Mediterranean by the German charity Sea-Watch were given permission to land in Italy Friday, despite the interior minister's "closed ports" policy. "Italian authorities have informed us of their availability to disembark families on board: children, mothers, fathers," Sea-Watch said on Twitter, two days after it rescued 65 migrants in distress off Libya. Crew aboard the Dutch-flagged Sea-Watch 3 had warned the migrants needed medical and psychological care. Seven children were disembarked, along with seven mothers, three fathers and an injured man, the interior ministry said. As the Italian coast guard began transferring the families to the island of Lampedusa, the charity insisted the remaining migrants should be allowed off too.

Source: Libya Today May 17, 2019 17:48 UTC