Lawmakers tell of migrants’ mental suffering at sea

Italian lawmakers have told of the mental suffering of migrants on a rescue ship within eyeshot of the island of Sicily.

They boarded the ship yesterday to inspect conditions for 47 men and boys nine days after they were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea.

The ship operated by German humanitarian group Sea-Watch picked up the migrants on January 19 in waters off Libya. It was allowed to shelter Italy’s territorial waters last week due to threatening weather, but the government refuses to let aid groups disembark in Italian ports.

Opposition MPs who inspected the Sea-Watch 3 said the migrants were suffering mentally after months or years of detention in Libya while waiting for the chance to attempt the dangerous sea crossing to Europe.

For many, having to stay on the rescue ship “is a form of continuation of imprisonment” they experienced in Libya, Riccardo Magi, a lawmaker with the tiny More Europe party, said.

The Italian news agency Ansa quoted Syracuse prosecutor Fabio Scavone as saying the captain requested psychological assistance for the passengers.

Stefania Prestigiacomo, an MP with the centre-right Forza Italia party, said the migrants were exhausted.

“OK, we’re all in agreement that Europe should do more in taking in migrants but let them off” this boat, she told reporters.

Italy’s Government refuses to let aid group ships put the people they rescue on Italian soil.