International Desk
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On October 22, hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Italy. Immediately after taking power, he announced a tough stance on the immigration issue. He said that the Italian government will no longer support the voluntary organizations of different countries working to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. For the sake of the country’s security, Meloni also announced a ban on the movement of rescue volunteers in their own waters.
Last week, the Italian government informed the German and Norwegian embassies in this regard.
In the letter, in the interest of Italy’s national security, ships from those countries are urged to strictly adhere to international border laws and their stance against illegal immigrants.
Migrant rescue organizations of various countries are in extreme trouble in such a position of the Prime Minister of Italy. Several rescue organizations, including the German NGO Humanity One, rescued more than 1,000 migrants from the Italian coast of the Mediterranean, but the Italian government refused to give them shelter. Migrants have to be kept on board for more than a week. As a result, they are passing inhuman days due to shortage of food and medicine.
Read more: 15 dead after migrant boat sinks in Greece
We are worried about their safety. There is no food here. We have called them to shelter in the island of Sicily. But there is no response from Italy. We are not allowed to go near the coast.’
Not only Humanity One, but several other NGOs working with migrants in the Mediterranean are in dire straits. In this situation, when Greece, France, Spain and Malta asked for help, they did not get any response.
On October 22, hard-right leader Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Italy. Immediately after taking power, he announced a tough stance on the immigration issue. He said that the Italian government will no longer support the voluntary organizations of different countries working to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. For the sake of the country’s security, Meloni also announced a ban on the movement of rescue volunteers in their own waters.
Last week, the Italian government informed the German and Norwegian embassies in this regard. In the letter, in the interest of Italy’s national security, ships from those countries are urged to strictly adhere to international border laws and their stance against illegal immigrants.
Migrant rescue organizations of various countries are in extreme trouble in such a position of the Prime Minister of Italy.
Several rescue organizations, including the German NGO Humanity One, rescued more than 1,000 migrants from the Italian coast of the Mediterranean, but the Italian government refused to give them shelter. Migrants have to be kept on board for more than a week. As a result, they are passing inhuman days due to shortage of food and medicine.
Read more: 15 dead after migrant boat sinks in Greece
We are worried about their safety. There is no food here. We have called them to shelter in the island of Sicily. But there is no response from Italy. We are not allowed to go near the coast.’
Not only Humanity One, but several other NGOs working with migrants in the Mediterranean are in dire straits. In this situation, when Greece, France, Spain and Malta asked for help, they did not get any response.