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Rescue ship saves over 150 lives despite Spain's efforts to thwart them
A crew member on the Aita Mari looks for refugee boats in the Mediterranean

A REFUGEE rescue charity delivered over 150 people to dry land today, completing its first mission since the Spanish government began frustrating its efforts in November.

The Aita Mari, operated by the Basque charity Humanitarian Maritime Rescue Association (SMH), returned to sea on January 30, rescuing a total of 158 people in the central Mediterranean in three separate missions last weekend.

Today, the Aita Mari crew finally disembarked the rescued refugees in Messina, Italy, after the city had given them permission to come ashore early last week.

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