Italy migrants: Rescue ship captain arrested at Lampedusa port

(FASTNEWs|COLOMBO) – The captain of a migrant rescue ship has been arrested at the Italian port of Lampedusa after a two-week stand-off with police at sea.

Carola Rackete’s vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was carrying dozens of African migrants rescued off the coast of Libya.

The Italian authorities had banned it from docking, but the vessel entered the port late on Friday night.

Italy’s far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini is taking a tough line against migrant rescue ships.

Ms Rackete’s decision to enter the port without permission brought an end to a prolonged stalemate with Italy’s coastguard.

The 31-year-old German was filmed being led away by police in handcuffs.

She was arrested for “resisting a war ship” that would not allow her access to the port, according to Italian state broadcaster RAI.

The vessel had rescued 53 migrants off the coast of Libya on 12 June. Italian authorities had already taken in 13 of them for health reasons. (BBC)