Twenty-six people arrived at the Italian port of Brindisi on Friday (May 19) after being rescued three days earlier by Doctors without Borders' NGO ship Geo Barents.

The migrants, including eight children and one woman, were found in international waters off the coast of Libya on a ship in distress.

Three migrants in their early twenties --- Omar, Ali, and Fikru --- spoke with Doctors without Borders volunteers about their time in the Libyan detention center.

"Locked in a room without windows"

"There were no windows, our own breath would condense and literally drip on our own bodies. The place was ridden with germs and bacteria. It was dark. We could not tell if it was day or night. The only light we could see was what we would see when they would open the door to throw some food at us, but then they would immediately close the door. The best moment was when they opened that door and when we could finally breathe a smell that was different from the putrid one of the place where we were held," they recounted.

Ali described the sea crossing: "We had been at sea for five hours when the engine broke. The children were crying, we were very worried for the family that was with us. We were hoping someone would help us."

Saved by the Geo Barents ship

"When we called Alarm Phone, they told us that soon we would receive assistance. When we saw the Geo Barents ship arrive, we feared it was the Libyan Coast Guard, because we could not see it clearly from a distance. But we hoped that whoever it was would rescue us."

"We had lost all hope until we saw the ships approach. It was impossible for the Libyan Coast Guard to have such ships. When we saw it was MSF (Doctors without Borders) we felt alive again."

Fikru now hopes his life will improve.

"My father is very ill and he cannot work. I want to be able to provide a dignified life for him and my younger brother."