For 16 days, the fate of the "Sea-Watch 3" occupied the European public until the German captain Carola Rackete brought the rescue ship with 40 migrants on board to Lampedusa against the will of Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. For days, the right-wing populist led a campaign against rackets, either to see them in prison or to expel them from the country.
In the same period, 17 small launches landed on the Italian island, with a total of more than 330 people. Their arrival was not much news. "Salvini never talks about that," said Salvatore Martello, the mayor of Lampedusa. "I am a fisherman," he said, "I have the sea in my heart."
The mayor observed exactly what happened when the "Sea-Watch 3" lay for days in front of his island and was not allowed to enter. "The Coast Guard was on board the Sea-Watch 3 and they were watching the harbour," sayid Martello.
At the same time, the small refugee barge boats from Libya and could have moored in the port without any problems as did usually. "And the security authorities don't want to have noticed anything?"
Refugees playing football with local children at the town's market place
(Photo Der Spiegel, text translated and summarised from a report by Frank Hornig)