This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
Published on July 5, 2020, Italy has agreed to accept 180 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, who will be transferred to a government-chartered ship for 14 days of quarantine.
The migrants, including 25 children and two women, one of whom is pregnant, were picked up after fleeing Libya in four separate rescues by the Ocean Viking on June 25 and 30.
According to a spokesman for the charity SOS Mediterranee, the migrants will be disembarked in Porto Empedocle and transferred to the Moby Zaza, where they will undergo quarantine.
"I can confirm that they're authorised to move to the Moby Zaza, likely tomorrow morning," Interior Ministry spokesman Dino Martirano told AFP.
The migrants have been on the Ocean Viking for over a week, with fights and suicide attempts on board prompting the charity to declare a state of emergency on Friday.
More than 100,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean last year, with over 1,200 dying in the attempt, according to the International Organization for Migration.
