Twenty NGOs criticized Italy’s right-wing government’s new Rescue guidelines for migrants in the Mediterranean on Thursday, claiming they violate international law and could lead to more fatalities.

The new regulation, which went into effect this week, requires charity Vessels to return “immediately” to the allotted Italian port after each rescue, which relief organizations believe would limit the number of people they can assist.

Before returning to land, such vessels frequently execute repeated rescues of those who become stranded while trying the world’s most perilous journey.

The assistance organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), claimed in a joint statement that the Italian decree-law violates international maritime, human rights, and European law.

They stated, “The diminished presence of rescue ships will surely result in more unfortunate drownings at sea.”

The new administration of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has promised to prevent charity vessels from providing what it regards to be a “ferry” service from North Africa.

However, the command “to go promptly to a port while other persons are in difficulty at sea” breaches the captain’s international maritime law requirement to offer timely help to those in danger.

They stated that the situation was exacerbated by Rome’s recent decision to designate ships’ ports that are farther from search and rescue zones.

“Both elements are intended to keep SAR (search and rescue) vessels out of the rescue region for extended durations and diminish their potential to assist persons in peril,” they explained.

Asylum requests

The regulation also mandates that Charities begin collecting information from people who have been rescued regarding their possible asylum petitions and communicate this information with Italian authorities.

It is the responsibility of nations to commence this procedure, and a private vessel is not a proper venue to do so, according to the charities.

As recently stated by the UN Refugee Agency, asylum claims should only be processed on dry land, following disembarkation to a secure location, and when immediate requirements are met.

Vessel captains who violate the new regulations may be fined up to 50,000 euros and have their vessels seized.

The legislature has two months to make the decree a law. It is susceptible to change throughout this time.

The charity asked lawmakers to resist the directive and requested a “strong reaction” from Brussels and other European nations.

EU spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated on Thursday that, regardless of the decree, Italy must respect international law and maritime law.

According to the interior ministry, the number of migrants landing in Italy reached more than 105,000 in 2022 when Meloni’s administration took power in October.

The majority of arrivals were saved and brought ashore by Italian naval and coastguard vessels, not by charity ships.

According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 20,218 individuals have perished or gone missing during the crossing since 2014. (IOM).

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