The NGOs come knocking on the door of the Ministry of the Interior: to welcome them, ready to discuss to meet all their needs, the Minister Luciana Lamorgese.
Present, as reported by LaPresse, the representatives of Emergency, Doctors Without Borders, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Open Arms, ResQ-People saving People, Sea-Watch and Sos Mediterranee, who admittedly “they take note of the openness to dialogue offered by the minister, reaffirming at the same time that rescue at sea can never be negotiable”.
None negotiationtherefore, it is necessary to start from the assumption that the ferrying activity of NGOs must continue without any obstacles, there is no possibility of questioning it. “Discussions on migration policies cannot become an impediment to rescue at sea, a legal as well as a moral obligation”, explain the guests of Lamorgese. “If it is true that the so-called ‘first landing states’ such as Italy must be able to count on the solidarity of the other EU members, the emergency at sea does not stop and indeed becomes more lethal every day. The NGOs ask the Italy and Europe “, reads an official note, “to establish an effective search and rescue system whose primary purpose is to safeguard human life in the Mediterranean”.
Just oppose what is defined as a rescue activity, you have to overcome the “hostile climate to civilian relief “. Victims targeted by a certain part of politics and public opinion, therefore, who ask to stop any activity that could prevent or slow down the work of shuttling from Africa to Italy:“We asked the minister to recognize the role of humanitarian organizations, affected by criminalization, by freeing our ships still under arrest”, declared the representatives of the NGOs. The agreement with Libya was particularly criticized: “Blocking departures, to the detriment of the protection of human rights and continuous deaths at sea, will never be the solution”. So the organizations are now also foreign policy advisors:“This form of support and financing must be stopped as soon as possible. Medium-long term solutions must be found to build safe channels of regular access to Europe”, the statement continues.“But, in the meantime, we cannot continue to let people die at sea or be taken back to a country where they are forced to be abused of all kinds”.
The NGOs therefore cornered the Minister of the Interior, urging her “to assume an effective role coordination with the other ministries involved, in particular with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility, as regards administrative stops and with the Ministry of Health for Covid protocols and the management of quarantines “.
The words of Lamorgese
Very willing to meet the organizations, the minister explained that“the key to better regulate migratory flows and to combat the trafficking of human beings is certainly represented by aintensification of humanitarian corridors with Libya in order to first of all allow the evacuation of families and vulnerable subjects, while at the same time guaranteeing, through the precious work of UNHCR and IOM, respect for human rights in the centers set up in the North African country “.
To demonstrate his strong will to plead the cause of organizations, the owner of the Interior Ministry reiterated“the immediate need for stronger solidarity at European level in the field of migrant relocation, in particular by urging the involvement of the countries of reference, non-governmental organizations and the flag states of their ships”.
The wrath of the League
“First Letta’s sweatshirt, then the talks with the Interior Ministry. We wonder if the Democratic Party and Minister Lamorgese are in government in Italy or in Spain”. League sources say this after the Interior Minister’s confrontation with some NGOs including OpenArms. “If the watchwords that emerge from today’s meeting at the Viminale are more dialogue and collaboration with NGOs, I do not agree with them. I would have expected much more: respect for rules and laws, given that NGOs in the Mediterranean do that. that they want. Impossible to dialogue with those who violate international conventions and national laws. Contracting out the security of the country to NGOs is very dangerous. There is a code of conduct for NGOs that is not respected. I thought we would talk about that, with obligations and sanctions for NGOs “, thundered Nicola Molteni, undersecretary of the interior and head of the immigration department of the League.
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