This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
On July 5, 2020, the Ocean Viking, a ship chartered by charity group SOS Mediterranee, docked at the port of Porto Empedocle in Sicily, bringing an end to a tense wait for 180 migrants.
According to an AFP journalist on board, the migrants, who were rescued in four separate operations on June 25 and 30, regained dry land in single file, carrying their backpacks.
Police escorted them to another vessel, where they will be quarantined for two weeks to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus.
The migrants, who include 25 minors and two pregnant women, had been on the Ocean Viking for over a week, waiting for approval to dock at a safe port.
However, tensions had been rising, with migrants jumping overboard, a suicide attempt, and bouts of violence reported on board.
"It was very difficult in Libya and I can't even explain the joy I'm feeling today, it's just incredible," said Mohammad Irshad, a 22-year-old Pakistani migrant.
Earlier on Monday, a separate group of 169 migrants disembarked from the Moby Zaza after a two-week quarantine, with 30 of them testing positive for coronavirus.
The mayor of Porto Empedocle, Ida Carmina, expressed concerns about the arrival of the migrants, citing the economically suffering community and the town's zero coronavirus cases during Italy's health crisis.
