Charities have branded the actions of the Italian government “illegal” after it prevented 250 people disembarking two migrant rescue ships.
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By Alex Binley
BBC News
Charities have branded the actions of the Italian government “illegal” after it prevented 250 people disembarking two migrant rescue ships.
There are 215 blocked on the Geo Barents and 35 on Humanity 1.
Children and people with medical issues were allowed to leave the ships in Catania, Sicily, but others were not. Two other rescue boats remain at sea.
The new Italian PM has promised to crack down on migrants travelling across the Mediterranean.
Italy is one of the main entry points into Europe and since the start of the year 85,000 migrants have arrived on boats, according to the UN.
Migrants set sail in small, overcrowded boats from North Africa – often they get into distress and are rescued by charity vessels.
In total 144 people were allowed to disembark the Humanity 1, which sails under a German flag, on Sunday morning. In the afternoon, 357 people were allowed off the Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF)-run Geo Barents, which sails under a Norwegian flag.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said those who did not qualify as vulnerable would have to leave Italian waters and should be taken care of by the “flag state”.
However, Humanity 1’s captain is refusing to leave the port of Catania “until all survivors rescued from distress at sea have been disembarked”, said SOS Humanity, the German charity that operates it.
In a series of tweets, SOS Humanity added that “the law of the sea obliges him [the captain] to bring all those rescued from distress to a safe place.
“Survivors have the right to an individual protection check, which can only be done on land. Rejecting the 35 people seeking protection aboard Humanity 1 from territorial waters is a form of collective refusal and is therefore illegal.”
In tweets posted later on Sunday, SOS Humanity said it would launch legal action against the Italian government on Monday, claiming Italy’s actions violate European law and the Geneva Refugee Convention.
It added it was unlawful to not let all the migrants disembark and it would also launch legal proceedings in Catania, to allow those who remained on board the vessel to disembark and begin asylum applications.
