Gibraltar has decided to remove its flag from the migrant rescue ship Aquarius, in a measure that the NGO SOS Mediterranee called a "political maneuver" aimed at hindering the ship's search and rescue operations.
The Aquarius vessel operated by a Franco-German aid group has arranged to dock in Malta. The 141 rescued migrants on board will be distributed among five EU member states, with support from the European Commission.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) said nearly 11.000 stranded migrants returned from Libya through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) Program, expressing concern over the alarming increase of the detained migrants'1
The Aquarius vessel operated by a Franco-German aid group is seeking a port where it can safely disembark with rescued people. An Italian minister has suggested the UK should take responsibility.
The Puglia area of Salento is experimenting a new and free system to house seasonal migrant farm workers to protect them from the gang-masters system, said the region's governor, Michele Emiliano.