The Spanish rescue ship ‘Open Arms’ arrived in the southern Italian port city of Crotone on Saturday evening with 57 migrants and was arrested. The crew is accused by Italian authorities of obstructing a Libyan patrol boat from rescuing migrants and ignoring instructions from Italy’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center.
For this reason the ship was held for twenty days. The Spanish NGO ‘Open Arms’ must pay a fine of 10,000 euros, the Italian authorities announced on Sunday evening. The measures were taken after checks by the Italian coast guard and the police. The ship’s captain and crew were interrogated for six hours. The NGO defended itself against the allegations and stated that the measures were completely unjustified.
Also minors on board
There were mainly Syrians and Pakistanis on board the “Open Arms”. There were also five minors on board the ship. After identification measures were completed, the migrants were taken to a reception center.
Civilian rescue workers at sea are a thorn in the side of the right-wing nationalist Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Last year, the country dramatically tightened its crackdown on NGOs operating in the Mediterranean with a new law. It provides for arrests and fines for alleged violations. Aid organizations repeatedly criticize that they cannot rescue people in distress at sea.
Migrants rescued from wooden boat
Meanwhile, the NGO ship ‘Humanity 1’ is sailing towards southern Italy with 126 rescued migrants. The migrants were aboard an overcrowded wooden double-decker boat 100 nautical miles off the Libyan coast in Maltese waters when they were rescued by the crew of Humanity 1. There were nine women and about 30 minors on board. “Many of the survivors, who are now receiving emergency assistance from the crew on board, are suffering from dehydration, hypothermia and exhaustion and are very weak,” said the German NGO “SOS Humanity”.
Since the beginning of 2024, 916 migrants have arrived in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean Sea, the Interior Ministry in Rome said. In the comparable period of 2023 there were 3,862. In total, more than 150,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2023. Meloni’s government is trying to stem migration flows through agreements with countries of origin such as Tunisia and Egypt. They also want to make a deal with Turkey (see video above).
A refugee boat capsized in the Aegean Sea
The latest example from Greece shows how dangerous the crossing in barely seaworthy vessels is for refugees: a rubber boat with more than twenty people on board capsized in the Aegean Sea. At least four have been missing since Saturday, according to the Greek coast guard. Twenty people were able to reach the coast on their own. The boat started in Turkey and capsized off Farmakonisi Island. It was said that the search for the missing persons was very difficult due to strong winds.
South of the Mediterranean island of Crete, crews of passing ships and the coast guard have rescued 149 migrants in the past 48 hours. Some refugees said they paid smugglers between €1,000 and €3,500 to travel from Tobruk, Libya, to Crete. Two suspected smugglers have been arrested, the coast guard announced.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 710 migrants died or are still missing in the Eastern Mediterranean last year. This means that the number of victims has doubled compared to the previous year.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
