The EU's top court said on Monday that officials can detain migrant rescue ships, but only if they can prove there is a real risk to health, safety or the environment, in mixed guidance on a case testing Europe's response to refugees.
German campaign group Sea Watch launched a legal challenge after Sicilian port authorities detained two of its vessels that had rescued migrants in the Mediterranean and taken them to Sicily in 2020.
Italian judges hearing the complaint asked the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for guidance on the case that goes to the heart of disputes over how to respond to the tens of thousands of people risking the crossing from Africa every year.
