Portugal has agreed to take five of the 40 migrants from Sea-Watch 3, the rescue ship that finally made it to dry land on Friday after a tense 17-day stand-off off the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The decision was made in collaboration with France, Germany, Luxembourg and Finland “in a spirit of European and humanitarian solidarity.”
Portugal has accepted migrants from every ship that has had problems docking in Italy.
Meantime, Italian authorities have not yet ceded to pressure to drop trafficking charges against Portuguese volunteer Miguel Duarte (click here) who risks up to 20 years in jail for rescuing migrants from the sea if found guilty.
