Italy’s deputy prime minister has relented over the fate of over 100 refugees and migrants forcibly kept on a docked rescue ship, after being formally placed under investigation for possible illegal detention and kidnapping. The Ubaldo Diciotti has been docked since Monday at the Sicilian port of Catania, initially with 177 migrants on board. Matteo Salvini, who is also the country’s interior minister, had said that no one would be allowed to leave the boat until he received guarantees that other European nations would take most of them in. Following the announcement on Saturday night of the formal investigation, Salvini finally gave permission for the remaining 134 migrants on board of the Diciotti to disembark. The Italian government announced that Albania would take in 20 of them, while Ireland would take 25 migrants. The Italian church said it would take in the rest to “put an end to this dramatic situation and sufferance”, said a spokesman for the Episcopal Conference of Italy. Read more
Matteo Salvini formally investigated over migrant ship standoff (Guardian)
