New humanitarian ship defies Salvini's ban

The Alex boat, from the Mediterranean non-governmental organization (NGO) Mediterránea, arrived yesterday at the port of Lampedusa with 41 immigrants, disobeying the ban on the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Salvini, who, in principle, did not allow the landings of the survivors. The 20 meter sailboat gained unauthorized access to Italian territorial waters and is moored on the island. All immigrants are crammed on deck and protect themselves from the sun with thermal blankets, as shown by a report from the NGO.

Police officers and volunteers from the Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies waited on the platform, as well as people who saluted the boat with applause.

However, Salvini said he would not allow the immigrants to get off the boat and set foot in Italy: "I do not allow any landing," he said. Meanwhile, the rescuers sat on the deck of the sailboat, beside the wharf, without being able to lower, after several days on the high seas, before the eyes of the Italian agents.

"The castaways and the crew are exhausted, the 41 people saved have to be treated and healed, we are living in a surreal situation and it is useless to the cruelty of prolonging this expectation, and shoot them down immediately," he said. NGOs, because some of the saved people have symptoms of diseases.

The ultra-right Salvini maintains a policy of closing ports to NGOs, which he accuses of promoting illegal immigration, and has imposed a decree that provides for fines of up to 50 000 euros for those who violate this provision.

However, the owner of the ship, Alessandro Metz, explained on Twitter that he is ready to badume all responsibilities.

The tensions

The Mediterranean saved 54 immigrants last Thursday in international waters against Libya and, after the evacuation of 13 people between pregnant women and children, the rest remained waiting on the deck of this little sailboat, under a suffocating sun . While the ship was on the high seas, Italy sent supplies, such as 34 boxes of drinking water, 54 menus and nearly 200 thermal blankets

Once the sailboat moored in Lampedusa, the minister accused the NGO of rejecting the water sent to declare the state of necessity and breaking the law.

"They are asking for money to pay the fines provided by the decree, thus increasing the donations.They are returning to Libya to encourage the outflows (of immigrants) and the risk of shipwrecks and make traffickers happy. These are the NGOs, "he said.

He announced that his party, the League, which governs Italy and the populist Five Star movement, will introduce an amendment to its decree to increase the amount of fines of one million euros for violation. territorial waters.

Mediterranean follows the example of the captain of the ship Sea Watch 3, the German Carola Rackete, who entered Lampedusa on June 29 with 40 immigrants on board after 17 days of waiting. He was placed under house arrest as a preventive measure. .

Although she opened an investigation, she was released soon after by Italian justice.

On the other hand, a second ship is waiting for a port off Lampedusa. This is Alan Kurdi of the German NGO Sea-Eye, with 65 migrants on board.