"My family is very poor. I had to sell everything so they could enable me to pay for the journey," one of the 71 migrants rescued by Emergency's Life Support ship last week recounted upon arriving in the Italian city of Ravenna on March 21.

"After years of waiting and bureaucratic difficulties, I understood that I would not be able to leave via legal channels. I was forced to go to Libya and get on a boat there," the Bangladeshi migrant added.

"In Libya, I met many people who had attempted the same journey I did because they could not manage to get visas to arrive in Europe in a legal manner. We all shared one thing: poverty."

"This was the only way for me to seek a better life for myself and my family, who remained in Bangladesh," he said.

"I hope they manage to come to join me soon. In the world, there is a large amount of discrimination towards poor people," he further explained.

Scabies infestation among rescuees

The man had been rescued on March 16 in the Central Mediterranean in international waters in the Maltese Search and Rescue (SAR) zone.

The 71 shipwreck survivors had been on a wooden vessel that was not seaworthy. They originally hailed from Bangladesh, Egypt, and Eritrea.

One person from the group had to be taken to emergency room; among the 71 migrants were three minors, including two unaccompanied minors that were both 17 years old.

Several people on board were reported to have been suffering from scabies but had already started their treatment onboard the ship.

The 71 migrants were ordered to be transferred to several different provinces of the Emilia-Romagna region; however, the minors will remain in the Ravenna area.