1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy

1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy

A ship crammed with almost 1,500 African migrants finally docked in Naples, Italy, on Sunday, May 28 after being blocked for two days due to tight security arrangements at the G7 summit.

The migrants had been rescued in the Mediterranean sea aboard small and shaky vessels while trying to reach Europe.

They included 207 women, 22 among them pregnant, and over 140 children of varying ages. Their sheer numbers meant they exceeded the ship's capacity of just 600 people.

1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy
The ship carried 1,500 African migrants, well beyond its capacity of 600

1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy
The migrants had been rescued in the Mediterranean sea aboard small and shaky vessels

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1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy
They included 207 women, 22 among them pregnant, and over 140 children of varying ages

Aid workers rescued the migrants on Thursday, May 25 and transferred them onto the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) ship named Prudence. Unfortunately, they also retrieved bodies of two migrants.

An MSF spokesperson, Michel Trainiti, told reporters: "Due to security restrictions for the G7 summit, no landings were allowed in any Sicilian port between May 22-28." The migrants therefore had to endure an extra two days at sea to reach Naples.

The current warm weather has resulted in a surge of migrants trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean sea. Some estimates indicate that as many as six million migrants are planning to attempt the dangerous journey to Europe.

1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy
The current warm weather has resulted in a surge of migrants trying to reach Europe

1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy
The migrants finally disembark from the ship

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1,500 African migrants rescued at sea finally arrive in Italy
Some of the children were as young as one week old

Watch visuals of the migrants docking in the video below.

Watch this video below:

Source: Legit.ng

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