MILANO – “The conversion into law of the so-called “decree Ong” represents a further obstacle for the survival of migrants crossing the central Mediterranean. In fact, a growing number of shipwrecked survivors will pay the price with their own lives and will be left to their fate or to be recovered by the Libyan coast guard. Already in 2022, over 1,300 people have lost their lives in what is the deadliest migratory route in the world, while over 11,000 shipwrecked people have been saved by NGOs: where would these people be today if the measure approved today had already been in force? ”. As EMERGENCY comments on the provisions of Decree 01/2023 on the management of migratory flows converted into law with the vote of the Senate.?
The fixed idea of wanting to block humanitarian ships. “The objective of the measure is not to manage rescues at sea, but to limit and hinder the presence of humanitarian ships in the Mediterranean. The practice of assigning ports distant from the rescue sites, not contained in the provision but which has the same inspiration, goes in the same direction: reducing the possibility of search and rescue by humanitarian ships. And it represents a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS – art. 98).
And increasingly distant ports of assignment. Assigning humanitarian ships to ports far from the rescue sites also serves to reduce the evidence of what is happening in the central Mediterranean, in particular the rejections towards Libya to which Italy and the European Union actually contribute in violation of international law. (Not only does Protocol No. 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights prohibit collective pushbacks, but more and more international institutions describe the African country as an unsafe place).?
The real emergency is something else. The adoption of the measure was justified by an alleged emergency regarding the management of rescues at sea. The real emergency, however, is not represented by the presence of humanitarian ships, but by the absence of a European search and rescue mission, by the now documented practices of failure to provide aid in favor of rejections, by the fact that 1 in 4 people die in the central Mediterranean hours and that last year alone over 20 thousand migrants were rejected in Libya.
“Onerous, arbitrary” provision, according to the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe itself has defined the provision of the decree as onerous, arbitrary, contrary to law and to be revoked. In fact, according to the international organisation, the provision risks having a dissuasive effect on the legitimate work of humanitarian ships and causing an increase in deaths in the Mediterranean.
The false belief that one wants to be believed. The provision also leads public opinion to believe that the issue of irregular immigration can be resolved by criminalizing and stopping the work of NGOs. In this regard, let us remember that the landings following rescue operations carried out by NGOs were only 9% of the total in 2023 and therefore concern one in 10 people among those who disembark in Italy.?
Saving lives cannot be considered a crime. And it is unacceptable that humanitarian work is hindered. Even more so since the intervention of NGOs in the Mediterranean was necessary due to the void left by the institutions with the closure of the mission Our Sea Instead of criminalizing the work of humanitarian ships, a reform of the access and reception system, legal ways of access and a real investment in international cooperation would be needed to protect people and the rule of law.
“We will continue to help those in difficulty.” “With the ship Life Support we will continue to help those in difficulty”, they reiterate EMERGENCY, the international organization born in Italy in 1994, founded by Gino Strada and his then wife, Teresa Sarti, to offer medical-surgical care to the victims of wars, landmines and poverty and, at the same time, to promote a culture of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights. Between 1994 and 2021 in all healthcare facilities of EMERGENCY more than 12 million people have been treated free of charge. One every minute. It should also be remembered that the organisation’s work is possible thanks to the contribution of private citizens, companies, foundations, international bodies and some of the governments of the countries where the staff are operational. Who to support the work of EMERGENCY and offer free, quality care to those in need:
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