A group of 294 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya disembarked in Sicily on Monday morning after spending ten days at sea.
On Sunday a woman who was eight months pregnant was evacuated from the Ocean Viking rescue ship for medical reasons.
According to SOS Mediterannee, which runs the rescue ship, there were 49 minors on board, the youngest only 3 years old.
The migrants were rescued from both wooden boats and rubber dinghies in various operations since May 19.
Candida Lobes, communications officer on the Ocean Viking, said keeping the migrants on board for ten days was “senseless.”
“These people, who already were showing signs of trauma caused by what happened to them in Libya, and caused by the voyage in the Mediterranean Sea, needed immediate assistance and some of them were held at sea for over ten days,” she said.
Italy has seen a surge in the number of illegal migrant arrivals in recent weeks as the weather gets warmer.
As of May 30, 18,841 illegal immigrants have arrived in Italy by sea this year, according to the Ministry of Interior, up from 14,412 on the same date in 2021.
