The German NGO migrant rescue ship Sea-Watch 5 saved 119 people from distress at sea in two different rescue operations over Christmas Eve (December 24).

Sea-Watch volunteers first rescued 55 people from an overcrowded rubber dinghy in international waters off Libya, then brought on board a further 64 people in a second rescue following instructions from the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, MRCC Rome.

Of the 119 people rescued, 32 were children and unaccompanied minors -- the youngest of them just three years old.

Migrants suffering from chemical burns, dehydration

According to a statement released by Sea-Watch, many of those rescued were suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and chemical burns caused by oil-seawater mixtures that form in the boats. The rescued migrants were receiving medical attention on board, Sea-Watch said.

Italian authorities meanwhile have assigned the port of Marina di Carrara in Massa for the ship to head to, which is located around 1,150 kilometers away.

"We are currently the only rescue ship in the area and are being sent to disembark in a port 1,150 kilometers away," Sea-Watch spokesperson Oliver Kulikowski said. 

Italy's government's decree limits the number of rescues that NGO ships can perform before they have to head for a safe port, assigned by the government.

Disembarkation ports -- previously located mostly in Sicily and southern Italy -- are being placed further and further north, often requiring four or more extra sailing days before the migrants can be disembarked.

Calls for 'safe escape routes'

The numbers of monthly migrant arrivals by boat throughout 2023, with the exception of May, October and November, were far greater than their equivalent months in 2021 or 2022.

August showed a peak in arrivals in 2023, with 25,673 migrants arriving on Italy's southern coasts, compared to 16,822 in August 2022 and 10,269 in August 2021.

July registered similar levels. In July 2023, some 23,480 migrants arrived in Italy by small boat, compared to 13,802 in July 2022 and 8,609 in July 2021.

Rights groups warn that the Central Mediterranean continues to be one of the deadliest migration routes in the world.

"Over 2,600 people were left to drown this year. Who wants to end the dying in the Mediterranean must establish safe escape routes," warned Anne Dekker, head of operations on board Sea-Watch 5, following the Christmas rescue operations.