MSF denounces seizure of migrant rescue vessel in Italy

FILE PHOTO: A view of the Geo Barents, a ship which took part in an operation by members of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, June 11, 2021. Picture taken June 11, 2021. Avra Fialas/MSF/Handout via REUTERS

GENEVA (Reuters) -French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Monday an MSF vessel that rescued hundreds of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean last month has been detained in Italy, suggesting the seizure was politically motivated.

Thousands of migrants embark each year on the crossing, often departing in small, inflatable boats from Libya with hopes of reaching Europe.