The Executive of Italy has ordered the immobilization for 45 days of the humanitarian ship 'Sea Watch 5', dedicated to the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean, and has imposed an economic sanction of 7,500 euros on the German organization that owns the vessel for refusing to cooperate with the Libyan authorities.
"The 'Sea Watch 5' will be stopped for 45 days," explained the Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, on social media after the imposition of the fine on the German NGO for "not complying with legal obligations."
"It is a serious violation of the law. Rescue activities at sea must be managed and coordinated by the competent States, not by NGOs," he added.
The organization Sea Watch has defended the rescue operation that motivated the sanction and has emphasized that the punishment is due to its refusal to cooperate with the Libyan authorities. "It is true. On Thursday, August 13, after rescuing six people in international waters, we informed Italy and neighboring European countries, but not the so-called Libyan Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, a puppet authority that serves to legitimize and turn into acceptable interlocutors the men and traffickers who shortly after the rescue pointed a rifle at us to make us leave 'their territory.' Are these the 'competent authorities' that the minister refers to?" she argued.
A deputy from the ruling party Brothers of Italy, Cristina Almici, has criticized Sea Watch for "implying that the Italian Government collaborates with criminals and traffickers." "It is shameful. We will not accept lessons from a German NGO that claims to come to the Mediterranean, ignores the orders of the competent authorities, and then accuses the Italian State when it is sanctioned," she declared, according to the Italian press.
Almici has encouraged the NGO to challenge the sanction if it considers it incorrect. "This is how a constitutional state works (...). Enough with the story that the Government does not combat traffickers (...). In Italy, the law is respected," she emphasized.