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Dozens of migrants landed in the early hours of Sunday after berthing their lifeboat on the island of Lampedusa, ignoring the orders of Italian Matteo Salvini to block the Italian ports for the ship rescue.
Some 41 people landed the ship Alex, a ship run by the Italian relief organization Mediterranea, early Sunday after its temporary seizure by authorities Saturday.
The boat's captain, Tommaso Stella, is currently under investigation by the Italian authorities for allegedly aiding in illegal immigration.
As was the case of the German captain Carola Rackete just a week ago, he defied a decree issued last month by the right-wing interior minister, Matteo Salvini, according to which fines of up to EUR 50 000 would be imposed on any captain, owner and operator of the company. a ship "entering Italian territorial waters without authorization".
After Alex reached the port, Salvini announced that it would increase the maximum fine to one million euros.
He tweeted that the seizure of the criminal vessel Alex was a preventative measure.
Previously, he had tweeted that he did not allow any landing for those "who mocked Italian laws and helped smugglers".
Third boat in a week
A third boat, Alan Kurdi, was also waiting off the coast of Lampedusa, but chose to sail to Malta on Sunday, although the Maltese authorities have not yet allowed it to do so.
Alan Kurdi belongs to the German charity Sea-Eye and has about 65 migrants on board. Rather than waiting for permission, the vessel decided to take action.
"We can not wait for the state of emergency to prevail. It is now necessary to prove that the European governments respect the attitude of Italy. Human lives are not a currency of exchange, "the charity announced Sunday.
The authorities seized another Sea-Watch member with Captain Carola Rackete.
She was arrested and ordered in front of a judge who then ordered her release, adding that she was acting to save lives, a decision that provoked negative reactions from Salvini.
"The irresponsibility of European countries has forced me to do what I've done," Rackete explained to the question of why she had defied the order not to dock in a Italian port.
To die to come to Europe
In each case, the ships rescued migrants who normally left Libyan ports by dubious means.
Saturday, the Tunisian coastguard found the bodies of 14 African migrants who drowned after the sinking of their boat carrying more than 80 people
for Europe from neighboring Libya, confirmed the Tunisian Red Crescent.
On Tuesday evening, 53 migrants were killed in an air strike in a detention center in the Libyan city of Tripoli.
Many detention centers have found ways to be smuggled into Europe, often paying for boarding a small boat that can not handle the distance traveled with so many people.
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