Spanish Photojournalist's Gruelling Experience Aboard Rescue Ship

VALENCIA, Spain, June 18, (Xinhua) - Spanish photojournalist, Oscar Corral, who arrived Sunday at the eastern Spanish port of Valencia along with 630 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, told Xinhua that he had experienced the most intense week of his life.

"I would say it's been the most intense week of my life," Corral said after spending eight days on the humanitarian rescue vessel Aquarius that rescued 629 people, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries, off the coast of Libya.

A baby was born later during the gruelling Mediterranean journey.

The Aquarius was stuck off the coast of Sicily on June 09 as Italy's new government asserted its anti-immigrant policy and refused to let the rescue ship dock.

Italy then asked Malta to receive them, but Malta also refused.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, with a more liberal stance, said the country would offer a safe harbour.

Men, women and children cheered as they arrived at Valencia, where they were met and welcomed by over 2,000 officials, medical workers, translators and volunteers.

"It has been a very emotional week, mixed emotions, very positive emotions due to all the people we met," the Spanish photographer said.

Migrants arrived here with nothing. "Without clothes, or memories of the lives they left behind, however, they are still caring," he said.

Corral embarked on the Aquarius with his colleague from Spanish newspaper El Pais on June 08, trying to record stories about the migration.

"We were aware that something 'exceptional' could happen since the Aquarius had left to rescue migrants, but we never thought of something like this," Corral said.

The Aquarius is operated by the aid groups SOS Mediterranee and Doctors' Without Borders to save people in distress in the Central Mediterranean, the most deadly migration route in the world. After its rejection, Italy agreed to send its coast guard vessel Dattilo and the Orione naval ship to escort Aquarius to Spain. Some of the migrants were transferred from the Aquarius to the two Italian boats.

Dattilo, with around 270 migrants on board, was the first of the three boats to arrive at Valencia before 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Sunday.

The Aquarius came hours later with another 106 migrants.

"I am very happy that these people got to a safe harbour, after all the problems and the long trip in so many days, after seeing how they were rescued and taken out of water," Corral said.

He recalled some impressive scenes during the trip that he would never forget in his life.

When the Aquarius was coming close to one of the small wrecked boats which carried dozens of refugees, a child, without clothes and shaking, was climbing overboard desperately after falling into water, Corral said, "I was deeply shocked by it."

Another scene that he remembered clearly was a warm hug between a boy and a rescuer before they touched land. "Thanks for saving my life," the boy said.

"Migrants were cheated and tortured, and they were part of human trafficking," he said, adding that "turning a blind eye does not fix the situation," Corral said.