The Meloni government plans to increase penalties for ships rescuing illegal immigrants

The government led by Giorgia Meloni is determined to fulfill its promise to combat illegal immigration, and as part of this effort, it plans to significantly increase penalties for ships involved in rescuing illegal immigrants. This move comes after the recent seizure of the twenty-third vessel of this kind. The Geo Barents, operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), was detained in the port of Salerno this week after rescuing 191 immigrants.

This seizure aligns with Meloni’s key pledge to curb illegal immigration, a policy that has already led to a notable reduction in arrivals: just over 39,500 this year, compared to 112,500 during the same period last year.

The 60-day detention order, issued on Monday night, is one of the most severe measures in an 18-month campaign against humanitarian groups operating in the Mediterranean. Authorities accused the Geo Barents of endangering lives and failing to provide timely information during a nighttime rescue last Friday. Doctors Without Borders has condemned the Italian government’s decision as “arbitrary and inhumane.”

At the end of 2022, shortly after Meloni took office, her government implemented new and stringent rules to restrict the ability of humanitarian groups to rescue immigrants. These include warnings that ships failing to comply with protocols will be seized, a threat that has been repeatedly enforced. Italian authorities have detained ten search and rescue vessels, some more than once, resulting in a cumulative loss of 480 days at sea for rescue operations this year alone, according to SOS Humanity.

The seizure of the Geo Barents marks the third detention of the vessel, and MSF has vowed to challenge the “illegal detention” in court. However, these cases are often resolved long after the ships have been released, undermining the legal process.