The rescue boat Aita Mari has been touring the Mediterranean since the beginning of July. In the police operation conducted on Sunday night, 34 people have been saved. Among those rescued there are three minors and two pregnant women, one of them seven months old, who were rescued yesterday. Members of Aita Mari have stated that “everyone is OK.”

In this respect, they have stressed that they have been made more difficult to rescue. On the one hand, because it has been done at night and, on the other, because three Libyan boats have appeared, with hooded and armed crews. This situation has caused "moments of tension", as a person has been thrown into the water and has died at the scene of the event. However, they have been able to board again.

When the captain of Aita Mari, Simon Vidal, has ordered the evacuation to continue, one of the three Libyan boats has left and the other two have been watching the rescue. At the end of the rescue, a couple of boats entered the empty boat left by the refugees and took the boat on which they were travelling. Members of the Humanitarian Marine Rescue have explained that this is a practice practised by the mafias to recover ships.

Landing at the port of Ravenna

The Italian Government has established the port of Ravenna for the landing of the Aita Mari on the south coast of the country. The rescue has taken place in Libya, and the port of Ravenna is about 870 nautical miles away. They are expected to reach the capital of Gipuzkoan during the night of Friday.

Members of Humanitarian Marine Rescue have denounced that the Italian Government continues to make efforts to remove life-saving boats “from one of the most lethal maritime routes in the world.” Added to this suggestion is that Europe, funded by the Libyan Coast Guard, should help to make rescues easier.