Rome’s parliament on Thursday passed a controversial law designed to limit the use of rescue vessels in the Mediterranean. The new rules include fines and a temporary ban on aid organizations. Immediately after approval, the first organization was punished.
An operating ban of 20 days has been imposed on the operators of the Geo Barents, Doctors Without Borders. The NGO was also fined €10,000 for failing to provide the Italian authorities with all the information requested. The fine was imposed on Thursday after 48 asylum seekers disembarked in Ancona on February 17, Italian media reported. MSF is reportedly considering appealing the fine.
Under the new law, after a rescue operation in the Mediterranean, ships must request access to a port and go there “immediately” rather than staying at sea and searching for other migrant boats in distress. Until now, ships operated by NGOs have often spent several days in the Central Mediterranean, regularly carrying out multiple rescue missions before heading north towards Italy.
Even ships would be seized
Captains who violate these rules risk fines of up to 50,000 euros. Their ships can be seized for repeated violations, the law says. “Unchecked immigration leads to exploitation, forced labor and illegal work. When immigration is not curtailed, illegal areas and crime emerge, creating a sense of social insecurity,” Nicola Molteni, secretary of state for the interior ministry, said in parliament on Thursday.
Source: Krone
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