Agency Report –
A German rescue ship has been blocked from leaving Italy after docking with several dozen migrants on the Mediterranean island of Sicily.
The Sea-Eye 5 has been detained in the port of Pozzallo, the non-profit organization Sea-Eye said on Tuesday.
Authorities justified the measure with alleged violations of instructions from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Rome.
Sea-Eye said it will take legal action.
The ship rescued 65 refugees from an overcrowded rubber dinghy around 50 nautical miles off the Libyan coast on Saturday and brought them to Sicily.
The aid organization, based in the southern German city of Regensburg, has been operating in the Mediterranean for years.
It accuses the Italian authorities of using “fabricated allegations” to force out civilian rescue ships.
The rescue of refugees trying to reach Europe from the Middle East or Africa via the Mediterranean has been one of the most contentious issues in European politics for decades.
The European Union is now working with several North African countries to deter migrants. Attempts to cross the Mediterranean in boats that are often barely seaworthy repeatedly lead to fatal disasters.
Italy has vowed to crack down on migrant arrivals.
