“The wait of over a week for a port to disembark these people was senseless,” said Candida Lobes, communications officer on the Ocean Viking. The migrants were rescued in several operations off the coast of Libya starting on May 19, including 49 children, some as young as 3 years old. Italy has seen a surge in migrant arrivals in recent weeks with warmer weather. The Interior Ministry said 18,841 migrants have arrived in Italy by sea so far this year, up by 31% over last year. Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese will host counterparts from five European countries this week in Venice to discuss the migrant situation.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 30, 2022 16:15 UTC