Twenty-nine migrants were rescued in international waters and disembarked in the early afternoon today in the port of Crotone. The group of only men – 26 originally from Bangladesh and 3 from Sudan – were traveling aboard a small boat, which set sail at least seven days ago from the coast of Libya and subsequently remained at the mercy of the waves in international waters, until entering the SAR (Search and Rescue) area under Italian jurisdiction.
Landing with the MAI 1106 patrol vessel
The delicate intervention that preceded and allowed the disembarkation of the migrants in complete safety was carried out by the patrol vessel MAI 1106, a vessel belonging to the Romanian Border Police. This is a naval unit usually used in the Mediterranean Sea for joint surveillance operations of the external maritime borders of the European Union, operating under the aegis of the Frontex agency. The entire operation was coordinated by the V MRSC (Maritime Rescue Sub Center) of the Reggio Calabria Coast Guard. On land, the reception machine was promptly activated under the direction of the Prefecture of Crotone, which availed itself of the support of the Immigration Office of the Police Headquarters. Immediately after docking, the specialized staff of the Vulnerability service of the ASP of Crotone carried out an accurate medical screening to verify the clinical status of all the migrants. Despite the long week spent adrift at sea, the situation appeared to be under control and doctors only recorded a few cases of scabies, which were treated promptly. At the end of the formal identification operations and health triage, all twenty-nine men were transferred to the reception center on Isola Capo Rizzuto.