Italian prosecutor orders seizure of Open Arms rescue boat off Lampedusa coast, just as Spanish army deploys ship to save the migrants
Crew members stand onboard Spanish military ship"Audaz" before it departs from the Rota naval base, after the Spanish government announced it will head to the Italian island of Lampedusa to pick up the migrants rescued by NGO Open Arms, in Cadiz, Southern Spain. August 20, 2019.
The announcement came after 15 migrants jumped into the water in desperation – some without life jackets – after days on board within tantalising swimming distance of Lampedusa, against the backdrop of a major political crisis in Italy. The Spanish patrol boat plans to escort the Open Arms charity ship back to the port of Palma in the Balearic Islands, the government said.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted: "With this measure, Spain will solve this week, the humanitarian emergency."There were initially 147 mainly African migrants on the ship but as the days passed, some were evacuated for medical care and all minors were allowed to disembark.
Madrid then offered up Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, nearer but still around 1,000 kilometres from Lampedusa.
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