Crotone port receives 42 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean

Forty-two migrants, mostly from Somalia, were rescued in the central Mediterranean and landed at the port of Crotone, Italy. The rescue was carried out by the German NGO vessel MV Louise Michel following an alert from Alarm Phone regarding a dinghy in distress between Libyan and Maltese waters.

Among those rescued were 14 women, including one pregnant individual. During the operation, the MV Louise Michel reported a confrontation with a Libyan patrol boat. According to reports, the Libyan vessel approached in international waters and discharged shots toward the NGO ship while the crew was attempting to save two people who had fallen into the water. The Libyan authorities subsequently rescued the two individuals who had fallen.

The assignment of Crotone as a safe port required the crew and migrants to endure an additional two-day journey, as the location was approximately 400 miles from their initial position. The MV Louise Michel is notable for being associated with the street artist Banksy, whose artwork is featured on its hull.