Sea-Watch captain arrested at Lampedusa port

Carola Rackete (31), the captain of a migrant rescue ship has been arrested at the Italian port of Lampedusa. She was arrested after a two-week stand-off with police at sea.

Her vessel named Sea-Watch 3 was carrying dozens of African migrants rescued off the coast of Libya. The vessel, which was banned by the Italian authorities had entered the port late on Friday night.

The media footage and videos showed a very large security presence at the port and police escorting Rackete off the vessel.

Matteo Salvini, Italy’s far-right interior minister is taking a tough line against migrant rescue ships. According to Italian state broadcaster RAI, Rackete was arrested for “resisting a war ship” that would not allow her access to the port.

On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in the the G20 summit in Japan that several EU countries had agreed to take in the 40 remaining migrants on board the ship.

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