On 30 November, two ships arrived in Calabria: the Geo Barents, carrying 83 migrants, docked in Reggio Calabria, while the Life Support, with 75 migrants on board, docked in Vibo Valentia. The Geo Barents, operated by MSF, had previously been intercepted by Libyan militias, facing threats and gunfire, according to testimony.
On Saturday, November 30, the Geo Barents docked at the port of Reggio Calabria with 83 men and unaccompanied minors on board.
Initially, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) ship conducting the search and rescue mission had been assigned the port of Brindisi and then Crotone. However, due to poor weather and rough seas, the ship was redirected to Reggio Calabria on the evening of November 29.
The migrants -- rescued in international waters as their dinghy was sinking -- told MSF staff that they had been intercepted by Libyan militias. The militias reportedly threatened them with weapons, fired shots into the air, and forced approximately seventy people into the sea.
All those thrown into the water were rescued by MSF volunteers. Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed Libyan coast guard rapidly left the scene, taking with them 29 women and children who had been aboard the dinghy, according to MSF.
The women and children were reportedly returned to Libya, where the migrants said they had previously endured violence, torture, and abuse. Among those taken back were the wives and children of several migrants who later arrived in Italy on November 30.
Mara Eliana Tunno, psychologist for MSF on the Geo Barents, said that rescued migrants were in shock and that they are asking to be reunited with their families.
One man, in desperation, attempted to jump into the sea to rescue his wife and two children, aged four months and ten years.
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First arrival in Vibo Valentia for Emergency ship
The Geo Barents was not the only rescue vessel to arrive that day. The Life Support ship, operated by the NGO Emergency, docked at the port of Vibo Valentia with 75 rescued persons on board.
These migrants had been saved in international waters within the Maltese Search and Rescue area during two separate operations on Thursday, November 28. In the first operation, 38 persons were rescued, while in the second one, the number of persons rescued was 37.
Among the migrants who arrived on November 30 were eight women, four accompanied minors, and 12 unaccompanied minors. They had all departed from Libya and hailed from countries including Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Palestine, Pakistan, Syria, and Sudan -- nations affected by armed conflict, political instability, poverty, and the climate crisis.
It was the first time that the Emergency boat was assigned by authorities to the port of Vibo Valentia. The priest of Vibo Marina, Vincenzo Varone, together with police authorities and rescue workers, intervened to show support saying the reason was "To show Christian support and offer spiritual closeness."
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