Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 18 June 2018

Sea convoy reaches Spain as migration debate roils Europe

By RENATA BRITO official Jorge Suarez said
IAIN SULLIVAN some of the migrants were
JOSEPH WILSON in a state of shock.
VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — "They are very shaken," Su-
An aid group's ship and arez said. "Put yourself in
two Italian military vessels their position: you get off
docked Sunday at the a ship and the first people
Spanish port of Valencia, who greet you are wearing
ending a weeklong ordeal masks."
for hundreds of people Physical exams did not re-
who were rescued from the veal any serious health
Mediterranean Sea only to problems, but many pas-
become pawns in a Euro- sengers showed signs of
pean political fight. exposure to high tempera-
The Italian coast guard ves- tures. A total of 144 were
sel Dattilo was the first of the taken to hospitals for treat-
boats in the convoy bear- ment of minor health issues.
ing 630 migrants to touch David Beversluis, the chief
land, pulling in just before Doctors Without Borders
7 a.m. The 274 recued peo- Migrants descend the Italian coast guard vessel Dattilo upon arrival at the eastern port of Valencia, physician on the Aquarius,
ple on board disembarked Spain, Sunday, Jun. 17, 2018. said several of the rescued
after medical staff made a Associated Press women were victims of sex-
preliminary inspection. ual violence and rape.
The rescue ship Aquarius grants. Aid workers await- passengers walked down tions will close their ports to "The horrible stories that
came in four hours later ing their arrival clapped the gangway. An Ital- migrants who are rescued we hear from people
carrying another 106 mi- and cheered as the first ian navy ship, the Orione, at sea. who come out of Libya is
came in shortly after 1 p.m "I have mixed feelings," gut-wrenching," he said.
with the remaining 250. Noguera told The Associ- "Spending time with peo-
The Aquarius, operated by ated Press as the first boat ple, listening to some of
the aid groups SOS Medi- arrived in Valencia. "I am the torturous situations that
terranee Sea and Doctors happy that the journey (for they've been through, was
Without Borders, was stuck the Aquarius migrants) is really one of the most chal-
off the coast of Sicily on over — a journey that was lenging parts of the entire
June 9 when Italy's new too long — and I am wor- operation."
populist government re- ried for the situation in the Spanish authorities are in-
fused it permission to dock Mediterranean and the terviewing the migrants on
and demanded that Malta closing of European ports." a case-by-case basis to
do so. Malta also refused. The migrants were met by see who may qualify for
After days of bickering emergency workers, health asylum.
and food and water run- officials, Red Cross volun- Due to their ordeal, the
ning low on the ship, Spain teers and psychologists at people from the Aquarius
stepped in and granted the city's marina. Each was were granted authoriza-
the rescue boat entry with assigned to a translator, tion to remain in Spain for
a plan called "Operation and authorities worked to 45 days before they must
Mediterranean Hope." The determine their identities begin resolving their legal
1,500-kilometer (930-mile) before they were sent to situations.
journey across the Mediter- welcome centers. "We have to strike a bal-
ranean from Sicily to Valen- The first person through the ance between our sensibili-
cia took nearly a week. process was a 29-year-old ties and humanity, and our
After Spain invited the man from South Sudan. respect for the law," said
Aquarius to land, Italy sent In total so far, there were 31 Spain's migration minister,
the Dattilo and Orione to different nationalities rep- Magdalena Valerio.
help transport the migrants. resented, with the largest "These people could not
David Noguera, the head numbers of people coming be left adrift in the Medi-
of Doctors Without Borders from the Sudan, Algeria, Er- terranean, where they
in Spain, said he was glad itrea and Nigeria, accord- would face death," she
Spain welcomed the ship's ing to Spanish authorities. told Spanish radio Cope.
passengers, who were There were also 68 minors, "(The EU) must recognize
picked up off the coast of 46 of them traveling with- that it needs an immigra-
Libya. He said he is worried out an adult family mem- tion policy that these times
that more European na- ber. Valencia emergency require."q