DPA
December 29, 2022
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends her end of year press conference.
Fabrizio Corradetti/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The Italian government on Thursday approved a decree to significantly limit the operations of private charity vessels rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, in an attempt to reduce the flow of people reaching the country's shores.
International aid groups expressed outrage at the measure taken by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The decree stipulates that after a rescue the vessel must arrive without delay at an assigned port, rather than continue to provide assistance to other migrant boats in distress at sea.
Normally, the ships carry out multiple rescues of people on small boats before seeking a port of call, which is often in Italy.
In addition, migrants and refugees should say while still on the ship whether they want to apply for asylum and, more importantly, in which European Union country, and then fill out the applications.
In case of violations of the new rules, Rome is threatening the captains of the civilian ships with steep fines of up to €50,000 ($53,000). The ships could also be confiscated by authorities and detained in Italian ports.
Meloni said on Thursday at an end-of-year press conference that her government has put the migration issue back on the international agenda.
She also claimed that the decree would make the sea operations of the non-governmental organizations in compliance with international law.
"The Italian government's new decree is an invitation to drown," said Oliver Kulikowski of the German association Sea-Watch, which regularly operates missions in the central Mediterranean.
"Forcing ships into port violates the duty to rescue, should there be more people in distress at sea. We will oppose this attempt to criminalize civilian sea rescue and deprive refugees of their rights."
Doctors Without Borders also slammed the decree.
"We are being forced to leave the rescue zone in the Mediterranean unprotected, which will lead to an increase in the number of deaths," said Marco Bertotto, of the group's Italy office, told La Stampa newspaper.
The operations of civilian ships have long been a thorn in the side of the right-wing in Rome.
In November, an attempt was made to ban two ships from bringing rescued people ashore. Most recently, authorities assigned ships only to very distant ports in order to harass them, according to aid workers.
The Ocean Viking vessel of the group SOS Méditerranée, for example, is currently travelling around 900 nautical miles from southern Italy to Ravenna in the northern Adriatic Sea with 113 rescued people.
The Italian government justifies its action against the organizations with the claim that they attract illegal migration from North Africa and help smugglers in the Mediterranean. The NGOs reject this.
Rome's new rules come amid broader political fights over the EU's response about the life-threatening boat journeys taken by the migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Pressure on Mediterranean EU nations like Cyprus, Italy, Greece and Malta is growing due to more and more asylum-seekers arriving on their shores. In turn, they have accused other EU countries of not doing their part to shoulder the burden.
The Italian government on Thursday approved a decree to significantly limit the operations of private charity vessels rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, in an attempt to reduce the flow of people reaching the country's shores.
International aid groups expressed outrage at the measure taken by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The decree stipulates that after a rescue the vessel must arrive without delay at an assigned port, rather than continue to provide assistance to other migrant boats in distress at sea.
Normally, the ships carry out multiple rescues of people on small boats before seeking a port of call, which is often in Italy.
In addition, migrants and refugees should say while still on the ship whether they want to apply for asylum and, more importantly, in which European Union country, and then fill out the applications.
In case of violations of the new rules, Rome is threatening the captains of the civilian ships with steep fines of up to €50,000 ($53,000). The ships could also be confiscated by authorities and detained in Italian ports.
Meloni said on Thursday at an end-of-year press conference that her government has put the migration issue back on the international agenda.
She also claimed that the decree would make the sea operations of the non-governmental organizations in compliance with international law.
"The Italian government's new decree is an invitation to drown," said Oliver Kulikowski of the German association Sea-Watch, which regularly operates missions in the central Mediterranean.
"Forcing ships into port violates the duty to rescue, should there be more people in distress at sea. We will oppose this attempt to criminalize civilian sea rescue and deprive refugees of their rights."
Doctors Without Borders also slammed the decree.
"We are being forced to leave the rescue zone in the Mediterranean unprotected, which will lead to an increase in the number of deaths," said Marco Bertotto, of the group's Italy office, told La Stampa newspaper.
The operations of civilian ships have long been a thorn in the side of the right-wing in Rome.
In November, an attempt was made to ban two ships from bringing rescued people ashore. Most recently, authorities assigned ships only to very distant ports in order to harass them, according to aid workers.
The Ocean Viking vessel of the group SOS Méditerranée, for example, is currently travelling around 900 nautical miles from southern Italy to Ravenna in the northern Adriatic Sea with 113 rescued people.
The Italian government justifies its action against the organizations with the claim that they attract illegal migration from North Africa and help smugglers in the Mediterranean. The NGOs reject this.
Rome's new rules come amid broader political fights over the EU's response about the life-threatening boat journeys taken by the migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Pressure on Mediterranean EU nations like Cyprus, Italy, Greece and Malta is growing due to more and more asylum-seekers arriving on their shores. In turn, they have accused other EU countries of not doing their part to shoulder the burden.
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