Rescue charity to take Italy to court over migrant boats standoff

German charity SOS Humanity says it will go to court to try to overturn efforts by Italy’s new right-wing government to prevent some of the people the nonprofit group had saved from the sea from stepping onto land.

“It is unlawful to allow only some of the survivors ashore,” the charity said on Monday on Twitter.

The non-profit announced its intention to sue as two rescue vessels – the German-flagged Humanity 1 and the Norwegian-flagged Geo Barents – were given permission to dock in Catania, Sicily, at the weekend. They were allowed to let off about 500 migrants, mainly women and children, leaving about 250 still on board.