Libya is “not a safe haven”, the Italian Supreme Court ruled a few days ago. This means that the conviction of the captain of the ship ‘Asso 28’, which rescued 101 people in the Mediterranean Sea in July 2018 and then handed them over to the Libyan coast guard, became final. The Italian Ministry of the Interior is now reviewing the verdict.
It is feared that all agreements made in recent years regarding the return of migrants to their country of origin could be jeopardized. The right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suspects that class action lawsuits by aid organizations could follow, including compensation claims from migrants. It had recently concluded several repatriation agreements with typical countries of origin, seeking to curb migration to southern Italy. In addition, investigations must be conducted if it cannot be clearly established that someone is actually a minor (see video above).
The ship’s captain goes to jail
The background to the current ruling that Libya is not a “safe haven” was the case of a captain who rescued 101 people in the Mediterranean Sea in July 2018 and then handed them over to the coast guard in Libya. According to media reports, he will spend a year in prison. According to the judge, this involved a collective deportation to an unsafe country, which is prohibited under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The migrants were denied access to international protection and were sent to a country where they were known to be victims of violence and torture, the ruling said.
Approval of the left-wing opposition
While the government is concerned about its agreements, the Italian aid group Mediterranea Saving Humans and the left-wing opposition party Sinistra Italiana agree with the new ruling. “We in the opposition have always said it: Libya is not a safe haven. Returning migrants means handing them over to criminals without any qualms,” said party leader Nicola Fratoianni.
More than a hundred migrants arrived on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa this weekend. Some said they had paid the smugglers 4,000 euros each for the crossing.
Source: Krone
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