We’re standing on the large deck of the Geo Barents rescue ship, the place tons of of individuals are ready to begin a brand new life.
The boat docked in Bari at breakfast time, pulling into the port accompanied by a police boat on one facet and a coastguard vessel on the opposite. And about an hour later, folks began disembarking.
The primary had been the very younger, the sick and the injured. Then the remainder of the youngsters had been led down.
All of them got a temperature take a look at on the backside of the gangway; some had been then put within the massive water paper fits that all of us keep in mind from COVID. Everybody was offered with flip-flops and sneakers by the Italian Pink Cross.
However this disembarkation course of is, unsurprisingly, sluggish and laborious. The Italian authorities needs to do all the pieces it may to sluggish, and finally reverse, the dramatic rise in migrants arriving on its shores.
So the well being examinations take time. After them come the safety checks, the finger-printing and an array of different issues. “Welcome to Italy, however do not think about we will make it simple”.
Which is why, hours after the method began, there are nonetheless tons of of individuals left milling round within the Geo Barents – killing time however getting regularly extra annoyed, anxious and irritable.
Which makes it all of the extra putting when the music strikes up.
From the PA system on the entrance comes the strains of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. And alongside it, Mattia, one of many Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) workers, is singing alongside, waving his arms with gusto, imploring this room full of individuals to embrace opera.
At first, they take a look at him in some bewilderment. However then come smiles, and some claps and earlier than lengthy individuals are on their ft applauding. Mattia, now a little bit sheepish, takes a bow.
It is labored. Folks at the moment are smiling after which, bustling by, comes Simon, a Belgian nurse who’s holding his trumpet. He smiles and begins enjoying and he performs very well. Everybody loves it.
Inside 20 minutes, there’s music being performed by the system – I feel it is Egyptian pop – and individuals are dancing collectively. Do not ever assume that music does not have essentially the most extraordinary energy.
The queue strikes slowly. Hamdi, who we met within the hours after the rescue, comes and says hi there. Ultimately, his flip comes up and we observe his path. His good friend, Elsaady, is within the group behind.
Hamdi walks up the steps and waits to be known as ahead. Like everybody else, he is sporting a surgical masks, issued by MSF however mandated by the Italian authorities, together with the garments that got to him when he acquired on the boat.
His package included a black hat, which he wears on a regular basis. However behind his masks, I can see he is smiling.
He reveals the MSF workers the numbered wristband given to all of the survivors and so they cross him off their checklist. After which he walks ahead, out of the door and in direction of the gangplank
He tells me he is blissful, excited and “I really feel like I am dwelling”. He is a wise man – multilingual and resourceful – and he is researched sufficient to know that not everybody in Italy – or Europe – will welcome migrants like him.
“However that is my likelihood at a second life,” he insists. “I really feel so good.”
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On board the mission to rescue 600 folks from fishing boat
And with that, he is off, down the gangplank and, as his foot touches the jetty, into Europe.
The queue goes alongside, however at all times slowly. By 11pm, after greater than 14 hours of disembarkation, there are nonetheless 100 folks left on board the Geo Barents. They appear exhausted and so do the MSF staff.
This has been a voyage like no different – a rescue that has stretched the sources of the ship and the stamina of the MSF workers, who’ve needed to look after greater than 600 folks by making a makeshift refugee camp at sea.
Now, everyone seems to be drained. It could be time to place some music on.