In the first test of its immigration policy, Italy’s new far-right government has prevented 35 asylum seekers from disembarking from their boat, claiming they did not qualify for asylum.
On Saturday night, Rome allowed the ship Humanity 1, run by the German search-and-rescue organisation SOS Humanity and carrying 179 people, to enter the port of Catania, in Sicily, and begin disembarking only children and sick or “vulnerable” people.
After an onboard medical inspection, about 144 passengers were moved to a reception centre on the island, while the rest were left on the ship and are likely to be pushed back into international waters.
Most left Libya on small boats, often facing torture and abuses, and they are all seeking a better life in Europe.
“Right now, in the port of Catania there is a selective disembarkation under way,” tweeted Italy’s only black legislator in the lower chamber, Aboubakar Soumahoro, who met Humanity 1 at the Catania port. “Worn bodies of castaways already exhausted by cold, fatigue, trauma and torture are considered objects by Italy’s new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni.”
Italy’s move comes as no surprise. Meloni, who leads Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist origins, and who once said Italy should “repatriate migrants back to their countries and then sink the boats that rescued them”, has promised to introduce hardline measures to block the arrival of asylum seekers from north Africa.
Italy’s new interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, insists that countries whose flag the NGO-run ships fly must take the refugees and migrants instead.
SOS Humanity, which operates the Humanity 1, challenged Italy’s decision, arguing that all the ship’s passengers were rescued at sea, and that alone qualified them for a safe port under international law.
Wasil Schauseil, a spokesperson for the NGO, said the group’s doctor was asked by the Italian authorities to make a selection of those in a bad medical condition. “Our doctor replied [that] everyone is in a vulnerable situation, so she would not make the selection,” said Schauseil.
Two Italian physicians eventually boarded the ship and conducted examinations to determine which people had medical conditions that made them vulnerable.
“The doctors declared 36 people not in an emergency. After receiving the news, one person collapsed and lost consciousness and had to be taken by an ambulance,” Schauseil said.
“That is why 35 people are onboard. You can imagine the condition of the people. It is very devastating.”
Three other ships carrying 900 more rescued asylum seekers remained at sea, two in Italian waters and one in international waters, while their requests for a safe port have gone unanswered despite “critical” conditions onboard.
The NGOs reported people sleeping on floors and decks, the spread of fever-inducing infections and scabies, and food and medical supplies nearing depletion. Some have been on the ships for more than two weeks.
The Norway-flagged Geo Barents, carrying 572 people, and the German-run Rise Above, carrying 93, entered Italian waters east of Sicily over the weekend to seek protection from storm-swollen seas, while the Ocean Viking, operated by the European search-and-rescue organisation SOS Mediteranee, with 234 onboard, remained in international waters south of the strait of Messina.
On Sunday, Italy ordered the Humanity 1 to leave the port of Catania.However, its captain refused to comply “until all survivors rescued from distress at sea have been disembarked”, said SOS Humanity. The vessel remained moored at the port.
“Everyone has a right to disembark, and we expect everyone can disembark,’’ Schauseil said. “We do not think this is valid under international law.”
According to the NGOs, Italy’s move is in breach of international law on rescue at sea, according to which anyone in danger at sea must be rescued and that the rescue can be considered concluded only with disembarkation in the nearest safe port.
On the other hand, the Italian government is attempting to apply a singular interpretation of the EU Dublin Regulation, which provides that asylum seekers have to remain in the first European country they enter.
According to Piantedosi, when the asylum seekers set foot on the Humanity 1 rescue ship, flying the German flag, they actually set foot in Germany and consequently Berlin will have to take care of them.
Italy’s new government’s first test on migration policy is reminiscent of the standoffs orchestrated by former interior minister Matteo Salvini, now Meloni’s infrastructure minister in charge of ports, during his brief 2018-19 stint as interior minister.
Salvini is currently facing charges for kidnapping asylum seekers in a case in Palermo after he prevented, in August 2019, 147 people on the NGO ship Open Arms from disembarking.
Although he could face up to 15 years in jail, Salvini said he would continue to “defend Italy’s borders”. In a Facebook video, Salvini repeated his allegations that the presence of the humanitarian boats encouraged smugglers.
The humanitarian-run boats which are being denied a safe port, account only for 15% of all arrivals in the country.
Thousands of asylum seekers have in fact reached Italian shores over the last week, either on their own steam in fishing boats or after being rescued at sea by Italian authorities.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
