Italy’s new right-wing government has remained silent on rescue groups’ repeated requests for safe harbor, effectively blocking three charity ships – the Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking and Geo Barents and the German-flagged Humanity 1 – at sea for more than a week. Rome last week sent letters to the embassies of Norway and Germany, saying NGO ships flying their flags were not following European security rules and undermining what it described as a fight against irregular migration. In its response, Norway said that “primary responsibility for coordinating work to ensure a safe port for those in distress at sea rests with the state responsible for the search and rescue area where such assistance has been provided.” Ambassador Johan Vibe said in an emailed statement to Reuters that “Norway has no responsibility under human rights conventions or the law of the sea for people who board Norwegian-flagged private vessels in the Mediterranean.” Ocean Viking and Geo Barents have more than 800 people on board and are sailing off Sicily, while Humanity 1 has 179 people on board, including more than 100 unaccompanied minors and a seven-month-old baby with her mother. Humanity 1 press officer Petra Krischok said people were sleeping on deck and would soon face rough seas after days of good weather. More than a quarter of the group was sick with flu-like symptoms, he added. Meanwhile, Italian authorities continue to allow arrivals of people rescued by Italian patrols, including 456 who arrived in Calabria on Thursday. Italy last month formed its first far-right government since the end of World War II, with Giorgia Meloni becoming the first woman to serve as prime minister. Known for her strong nationalism, Meloni said during her first visit to European Union headquarters on Thursday that “the priority for us becomes a priority that is already provided for in European regulations, which is the defense of the external borders.” Italy’s new interior minister, Matteo Piadendozzi, told local media that the government intended to give flag-flying countries a “direct message”. “We cannot bear the burden of migrants being picked up at sea by foreign ships operating systematically without any coordination with local authorities,” he said. Piantedosi drafted new measures that claimed the non-governmental groups violated the process by not properly coordinating their rescues, a step that set the stage for Italy to close the ports. Charities have denied circumventing procedures and say it is their duty to rescue people in distress at sea.
“Let the ship in”
According to the UN refugee agency, coastal states are obliged to accept people from rescue vessels “as soon as possible” and governments should work together to provide a place of safety for survivors. The German embassy on Wednesday urged Italy to provide rapid assistance, saying the NGO ships had made a significant contribution to saving lives at sea. Separately, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday that international law made it clear that Italy, as the nearest port, “must let the ship in”. Darmanin said that France and Germany have told the Italian government that they are both ready to accept some of the people so that Italy does not “bear the burden alone”. On Thursday, the SOS Mediterranee charity which operates the Ocean Viking said it had asked Greece, Spain and France to help as Italy and Malta did not respond to its requests for a berth. “Keeping ship survivors hostage to political discussions for a longer period of time would be the result of a dramatic failure by European members and associated states,” Xavier Lauth, SOS Mediterranee’s director of operations, said in a statement. More than 6,200 people have arrived in Italy since Oct. 27, according to government figures, compared with 1,400 in the same period in 2021.