TUNIS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The UN-affiliated International Organization for Migration (IOM) welcomed the recent decision by the Tunisian government to permit the disembarkation of 75 migrants rescued at sea on May 31, the IOM office in Tunis said Wednesday.
"On board for nearly three weeks of suspension in sea, the group of survivors finally arrived in the capital Tunis early this morning, where they were received in an emergency shelter provided by the Tunisian Red Crescent for medical care," the IOM said in a statement.
"We hail the decision of the Tunisian government that allows the 75 men and children to disembark in Tunisia," the statement quoted Lorena Lando, chief of Mission of IOM in Tunisia, as saying.
"It is imperative to save lives," said Lando, adding preserving the dignity of all remains a priority.
It should be noted that the disembarkation took place on late Tuesday and the IOM team provided first aid and health examinations to the survivors before accompanying them to Tunis.
On May 31, 2019, an Egyptian boat rescued 75 people, including 64 Bangladeshis, nine Egyptians, one Moroccan and one Sudanese citizen, off the southern Tunisian coast after they embarked from Libya and sailed toward the European coasts.
