The Ocean Viking has rescued 244 migrants in distress on December 27. This comes after on Boxing day, December 26, the Sea-Eye 4 rescued 106 refugees in the Mediterranean, while on Christmas Eve, December 24, the Sea-Watch 5 had rescued 119 people off Libya. Two of the ships have been assigned ports of arrival, in Marina di Carrara and Brindisi, respectively.
The German migrant rescue ship Sea-Watch 5 arrived at its assigned port in Marina di Carrara, Massa on Thursday (December 28) after four days at sea.
On board were 119 people who had rescued in two different operations in international waters off Libya on Christmas Eve. Of the 119 people rescued, 32 were children and unaccompanied minors -- the youngest of them just three years old, according to reports.
Italian authorities meanwhile assigned Sea-Watch 5 the port of Marina di Carrara in Massa – located between Pisa and Genoa, around 1,150 kilometers away from where it had saved the migrants.
Sea-Eye rescues 106 on Boxing Day
The NGO boat Sea-Eye 4 also rescued 106 refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean on Boxing Day. 40 of the survivors were reported to be minors. Italian authorities assigned the ship to the port of Brindisi in the Adriatic sea, about a three days' journey away from the rescue location.
The NGO said the Maltese rescue coordination center had not responded to requests from its crew to dock there. The charity vessel is expected to arrive in Brindisi on Tuesday.
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.
Ocean Viking rescues 244
On Wednesday, the humanitarian ship Ocean Viking -- run by SOS Méditerranée -- rescued 244 people in distress in the Mediterranean in three missions.
Among the among the survivors were several minors and two pregnant women, the crew tweeted. The migrants were said to be travelling on rickety boats when they were intercepted.
According to the rescue crew, some of the survivors are chronically ill.
Italian authorities have assigned Ocean Viking the port of Bari.
The Mediterranean: a graveyard for thousands of migrants
The Mediterranean is one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world.Â
In 2023, 2,678 refugees and migrants have died or have gone missing while making the precarious crossing, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
"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.