Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni continues to face legal battles with migrant rescue charities, as judges often side with NGOs but have not yet questioned the law.
Last year, Meloni’s hard-right government imposed new restrictions on charity ships rescuing migrants in the Central Mediterranean. Many of these ships have been detained multiple times for allegedly breaking the law.
While Italian courts have overturned several detention orders, they have not yet found any flaws in the law that could benefit NGOs in the future.
A recent ruling by a court in Reggio Calabria, southern Italy, declared a detention order against the German rescue boat Sea-Eye 4 as unlawful. The ship had rescued 84 migrants, including 36 children, off the coast of Libya and was accused of acting without permission from the Libyan coastguard.
The court found no evidence to support the government’s claims and ordered the Italian authorities to cover the legal costs of Sea-Eye.
Sea-Eye hailed the ruling as a “significant victory” and criticized the detention of civilian rescue ships as an abuse of state powers.
– ‘Purely political’ –
Italy’s interior ministry stated that the court ruling would have no impact on the existing law, which the government would appeal against. Since Meloni’s coalition came to power, they have been trying to reduce the arrival of migrant boats from North Africa into Italy.
The Piantedosi law, named after Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, requires NGOs to head to port immediately after a rescue, preventing them from conducting multiple rescues. NGOs argue that this law violates maritime regulations.
The detention of civilian rescue ships has been criticized as a political maneuver by NGOs like Sea-Watch.
– Migrants adapt –
Meloni has celebrated a decrease in migrant arrivals this year, with the flow moving towards Spain and Greece. However, experts note that migrants adapt to obstacles and changing migration patterns for various reasons, including weather conditions and increased controls in Tunisia and Libya.
The Mediterranean crossing remains dangerous, with thousands of migrants dying or going missing each year. European sea patrols are deemed insufficient by the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Despite the reduction in arrivals this year, migrants embarking on the Mediterranean crossing face higher risks as they are less likely to be rescued in case of shipwreck.
