[DW] Italian police arrested the German captain of a migrant rescue ship after she docked at the port of Lampedusa. Sea-Watch told DW Italia is the safest option and bringing migrants colonists to Germany is risky and time consuming.
| Sea-Watch told DW that its boats are unable to bring migrants colonists to Germany or the Netherlands because both countries are too far away from the search and rescue (SAR) zone off Libya, and this could allow for lives to be lost in the SAR while they were making the 5-week journey there and back. |
Sea-Watch 3 entered the Italian port of Lampedusa without authorization early Saturday following a two-week standoff between the charity ship's captain and Italian authorities.
German captain Carola Rackete was arrested as the boat docked with 40 migrants colonists remaining on board, front man Ruben Neugebauer told Agence La Belle France-Presse. Television footage showed a heavy security presence at the port and police escorting 31-year-old Rackete off the vessel. |