Hundreds of migrants off the coast of Italy remain stranded for over two weeks now as the newly-elected right-wing Meloni government continues to refuse entry to two non-governmental organisation (NGO) ships. Nevertheless, there appear to be signs that the government is relenting after two other ships were allowed to dock following pressure from France and Germany.
Authorities identified and granted entry to 179 migrants aboard a ship run by German NGO Humanity 1 on Sunday. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi clarified, however, that the boat would be allowed to dock at the Sicilian port only to allow minors and individuals requiring urgent medical attention to disembark. He underscored, “People who are not in urgent need of help will have to be taken back to international waters.”
The NGO’s doctor refused to participate in the exercise, as the organisation considers all on board to be vulnerable. Thereafter, two local doctors were deployed to identify those that required urgent medical attention, allowing three women, a baby, one family and over a hundred unaccompanied minors to disembark after at least 19 requests by the NGO.
However, the vessel’s captain refused to leave the Italian port until “all survivors rescued from distress at sea have been disembarked.” 35 remain stranded on the boat.
Italy’s PM has stopped all men arriving on migrant boats from disembarking saying that those who are not vulnerable will have to make their way back to where they came from, only letting vulnerable people off of the boats.
— Sophie Corcoran (@sophielouisecc) November 7, 2022
That’s how it should be done. Help the vulnerable.
Thereafter, officials instructed Norwegian NGO Geo Barents’ ship, with 572 migrants on board (including an 11-month-old infant and three pregnant women), to dock at Catania’s port to undergo the same assessment. Authorities allowed 357 people to disembark, leaving 215 in limbo.
Ninety-three on board the German NGO Rise Above’s ship and 234 others on European charity SOS Mediterranee’s vessel remain stranded with no change in status. The SOS Mediterranee ship has 40 unaccompanied minors on board.
A large number of the migrants are attempting to escape detention camps in Libya to seek a better life in Europe. The NGOs report that several migrants on board show signs of torture and abuse.
The asylum seekers reportedly sleep on floors and decks, with infections spreading and food and medical supplies growing sparse. They are also growing increasingly restless because they have not been given any reason for being stranded in international waters. At least four have died since Friday due to the deteriorating conditions on board the ships.
Human rights groups and opposition politicians have called on the Italian government to allow the vessels to dock immediately. Legislator Aboubakar Soumahoro denounced the Meloni government’s “selective disembarkation” for treating migrants as “objects” and subjecting them to “trauma” and “prolonged suffering.”
In questo momento al porto di Catania è in corso uno sbarco selettivo. Corpi consumati di naufraghi già sfiniti da freddo, stanchezza, traumi e torture sono considerati, per volontà del governo di @GiorgiaMeloni, degli oggetti. UNA VERGOGNA! pic.twitter.com/si0q2y01aB
— Aboubakar Soumahoro (@aboubakar_soum) November 5, 2022
SOS Humanity’s advocacy officer, Mirka Schaefer, said the Italian government’s actions are “undoubtedly illegal,” noting that “pushing back refugees at the Italian border violates the Geneva Refugee Convention and international law.”
Similarly, Amnesty International researcher Matteo De Bellis stressed, “It is frankly absurd that the Italian and Maltese governments have not yet offered them a place of safety.”
France and Germany have also called on the Italian government to ensure the safety of the migrants, reassuring that are ready to take some of them in.
In this regard, Pope Francis said on Sunday that the European Union should not leave the responsibility of housing refugees to the country of arrival and instead adopt a “policy of collaboration and help.”
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, however, leads a far-right coalition that has vowed to take a hard stand against immigration, including those who arrive by private rescue ships. The coalition has accused NGOs of encouraging illegal migration and human trafficking across the central Mediterranean Sea.
Finally! We owe a big thank you to @GiorgiaMeloni and the new Italian government for protecting the borders of Europe. #GrazieGiorgia https://t.co/llTz5XO2xi
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) November 6, 2022
Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini has said, “We stop being hostage to these foreign and private NGOs that organise the routes, the traffic, the transport and the migratory policies.”
Similarly, Meloni said last Tuesday that she would crack down on sea departures to restrict illegal entry into Italy.
To this end, the government insists that NGOs’ home countries should accept the migrants, with Interior Minister Piantedosi describing the ships as “islands” of the flag countries.
Norway, however, has stressed that it has no responsibility to take in migrants onboard private Norwegian vessels.
The United Nations refugee agency mandated coastal countries like Italy and Malta to accept such rescue vessels “as soon as practicable” and provide safe shelters for survivors.
While the government has blocked NGO-run ships, it has taken in thousands of migrants aboard private fishing boats and Italian rescue vessels, which account for 85% of arrivals into Italy. On Saturday, 147 migrants arrived on a boat called Augusta and 59 others docked at an Italian port on the Zagara oil ship.
85,000 migrants have arrived at Italian ports in boats since the beginning of the year.