Rescue charities say new Italian rules will cause migrant deaths

The Italian government has recently implemented harsh anti-immigration policies. Sea rescue organizations condemned the measures, saying that they will lead to more deaths in the Mediterranean.

The decree was implemented last week. It states that charity ships must request port permission and sail to it "without delay" following a rescue. Rather than staying at sea searching for other migrant boats, as is currently the case.

If they break the rules, ship captains could face fines up to €50,000 ($52,760) or even having their boats impounded.

A group of 17 non-governmental organizations released a joint statement to voice their "gravest concern" about the law drafted by Prime Minister Giorgia Maloni's conservative coalition. The coalition won power last year and promised to reduce migrant flows to Italy.

They claimed Italy was trying to cut down the time that charity vessels can stay on search and rescue (SAR). This is referring to a recent practice in which boats were instructed to transport migrants from the sea to distant ports.

According to the statement: "NGOs are already stretched due to the lack of a state-run SAR operation. The decreased presence of rescue vessels will invariably result in more people tragically dying at sea."

Doctors Without Borders and Sea-Eye were among the signatories.

According to data from the interior ministry, some 105,140 migrants arrived in Italy in 2022. This is in comparison with 67,477 and 34,154 in 2020. According to the United Nations, nearly 1,400 migrants died crossing the central Mediterranean in 2022.

According to the NGO statement, Italy was asked to cancel the decree and to work with the rest European Union to support rescue operations and prevent the deaths of migrants.

Meloni defended the new rules, accusing the charities of playing into human traffickers' hands. They claim they act as a taxi service to people who do not have visas to enter Europe.

"If you find a boat that is in danger, you must rescue them." In a video posted on Instagram, she stated that you don't allow them to stay onboard and then continue making multiple rescues until they are full.

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