Italy authorises rescue vessel to bring migrants

Rome, April 1 (IANS) Italian authorities have granted the rescue vessel, Open Arms, permission to bring more than 200 rescued migrants to Sicily, the non-profit organization announced on Thursday.The migrants had been rescued in several operations from small boats in the Mediterranean, dpa news agency reported.Italian authorities already took some of them in for medical reasons, Open Arms said. Now the remaining 209 people are to be taken to Pozzallo, near the city of Ragusa.Private organisations regularly rescue migrants from distress in the Mediterranean Sea, as they try to reach Europe with small boats, usually departing from Libya. The crossing is considered dangerous.The rescue operations are however viewed critically in some countries.
--IANS ksk/