Second German rescue ship detained in Italy
Italian authorities have detained a rescue ship from the German humanitarian organization Sea-Eye, the group said, marking the second such incident within a few days.
The Italian Coast Guard has immobilized the Sea-Eye 4 vessel for 20 days, following the rescue of 114 migrants in the Mediterranean in three separate operations over the weekend, Sea-Eye said in a statement released late on Tuesday evening. The authorities have not yet provided any official information.
Prior to the Sea-Eye 4, Italy had also detained the Aurora, a vessel operated by the German organization Sea-Watch, off the island of Lampedusa.
The reason for the Sea-Eye 4’s detention appears to be the alleged violation of a new Italian law. The law specifies, among other things, that after a rescue operation, a port must be immediately sought instead of conducting multiple rescues.
"Once again we are accused of having carried out multiple rescue operations. If we had not done so, lives would have been lost," said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye, according to the statement. The rescued individuals were found on plastic boats between Malta and Crete. The authorities directed the ship to the port of Salerno in southern Italy, where the Sea-Eye 4 is currently stationed.
This is the second detention for the Sea-Eye 4 this year. The new law from Rome is repeatedly cited as the reason for these detentions. The civil sea rescuers are a thorn in the side of the right-wing Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Sea rescue organizations strongly criticize the law.
Migrants regularly attempt to reach Italy from Tunisia and Libya on boats that are often unseaworthy – perilous crossings that sometimes result in devastating accidents. The Ministry of the Interior in Rome reported that more than 105,480 people have arrived in Italy by sea this year, surpassing the total for the previous year.
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The Italian Coast Guard has immobilized the Sea-Eye 4 vessel for 20 days, following the rescue of 114 migrants in the Mediterranean in three separate operations over the weekend, Sea-Eye said in a statement released late on Tuesday evening. The authorities have not yet provided any official information.
Prior to the Sea-Eye 4, Italy had also detained the Aurora, a vessel operated by the German organization Sea-Watch, off the island of Lampedusa.
The reason for the Sea-Eye 4’s detention appears to be the alleged violation of a new Italian law. The law specifies, among other things, that after a rescue operation, a port must be immediately sought instead of conducting multiple rescues.
"Once again we are accused of having carried out multiple rescue operations. If we had not done so, lives would have been lost," said Gorden Isler, Chairman of Sea-Eye, according to the statement. The rescued individuals were found on plastic boats between Malta and Crete. The authorities directed the ship to the port of Salerno in southern Italy, where the Sea-Eye 4 is currently stationed.
This is the second detention for the Sea-Eye 4 this year. The new law from Rome is repeatedly cited as the reason for these detentions. The civil sea rescuers are a thorn in the side of the right-wing Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Sea rescue organizations strongly criticize the law.
Migrants regularly attempt to reach Italy from Tunisia and Libya on boats that are often unseaworthy – perilous crossings that sometimes result in devastating accidents. The Ministry of the Interior in Rome reported that more than 105,480 people have arrived in Italy by sea this year, surpassing the total for the previous year.
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