A group of migrant rescuers in Italy will go on trial this October for allegedly helping illegal immigration, following a payment from global shipping company Maersk. The organization, known as Mediterranea Saving Humans (MSH), confirmed the news on Wednesday through a Facebook post.
The trial is set to begin on October 21. It involves three senior MSH officials, the captain of their rescue vessel, and three crew members. They are being charged in connection with a rescue operation carried out in 2020, when the group took in 27 migrants from a Maersk ship stranded at sea.
Prosecutors claim that Maersk paid €125,000 (around $140,000) to Idra, the company overseeing MSH, shortly after the migrants were transferred. The migrants had been stuck aboard the Maersk Etienne for over a month because both Italy and Malta refused to allow them to disembark.
This case has drawn attention across Italy, where several migrant rescue groups working in the Mediterranean Sea have been accused of collaborating with human traffickers. Critics argue that such rescues encourage illegal crossings, although humanitarian organizations like MSH strongly deny any wrongdoing.
The specific rescue in question happened in 2020, when the Mare Jonio—a ship operated by MSH—took the 27 migrants from the Maersk Etienne after weeks of political standoff. At the time, MSH leader Luca Casarini said the payment from Maersk was compensation for consultancy work involving port logistics and not related to the rescue itself.
The Mediterranean route between Libya, Malta, and Italy is one of the most dangerous paths for migrants trying to reach Europe. While groups like MSH claim their mission is to save lives, legal actions like this reveal the complexity and political sensitivity of their work.
The upcoming trial will likely raise further questions about the balance between humanitarian rescue and immigration law enforcement in Europe. As October approaches, both human rights defenders and their critics will be closely watching the case.