By Burak Bir
LONDON (AA) — A German charity that runs a sea rescue mission said Monday that it had saved dozens of migrants in two operations overnight in the Mediterranean.
The Sea-Watch 5 ship said it has rescued a total of 70 migrants in the Mediterranean, "urgently" demanding Italian authorities assign them a closer port.
"While Italian authorities assigned Reggio Calabria as a port of safety, 4m (13.1 feet) waves block our northward path, and it's not safe to proceed," Sea-Watch International said on X.
It said seeking shelter near the island of Lampedusa, Italy's closest territory to North Africa, was the only option, but that Italian authorities had rejected the transshipment of the rescued individuals.
"Our priority is the immediate safety of everyone on board. Reggio Calabria in Southern Italy is a distant 4-day route, and we urgently demand Italy to assign us a closer port now," it added.