Desperate migrants jump into water to Italian island from stand-off boat
Fifteen migrants jumped off a charity ship and attempted to swim to shore after almost three weeks trapped on board.
Conditions on the rescue ship have been deteriorating after it was banned from entering Italy by the right-wing government.
On Tuesday morning, one migrant – a Syrian national – jumped ship and attempted to swim to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Fourteen more then launched themselves into the Mediterranean sea wearing orange life-vests.
The Italian coastguard managed to rescue all of them but it is not immediately clear if they will be taken to land or returned to the rescue ship.
The Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms has warned the situation is ‘out of control’ and ‘desperate’ on board their boat.
It has now been stranded for 19 days after Italy’s protracted refusal to allow the migrants to disembark.
A reporter who has visited the stricken vessel said some of the 98 people on board were ‘going mad.’
Spain has since offered up its southern port of Algeciras, which the NGO said could ‘not be achieved’ due to the distance and tensions on board.
The Spanish government then offered up Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, nearer but it is still around 600 miles from Lampedusa.
The charity described this offer as ‘totally incomprehensible’ and continued to demand the ship be allowed to dock in Lampedusa.
The NGO’s spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said she heard from Open Arms crew members that ‘those who remain aboard are threatening with jumping as well’.
The Open Arms captain previously warned Italian authorities that the crew of 17 can no longer control the situation on board, as frustrated migrants resort to fighting.
Italy’s hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini has refused port access to the ship, even though six other European countries – Spain, Portugal, Germany, France, Romania and Luxembourg – have agreed to take the passengers.
Italy has complained that those offers mean the migrants would need to dock first on Lampedusa – the closest and safest port.
Salvini has seen his popularity soar with his hard line stance and ships have been repeatedly refused entry.
The Italian authorities have been arresting the captains of rescue vessels who help migrant boats that are in trouble in international waters.
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