Italy has intensified its efforts to crack down on humanitarian rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea under the government of Giorgia Meloni. This week, Italy seized the Geo Barents, a civilian search and rescue ship operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), marking the 23rd time a humanitarian vessel has been impounded. The ship was detained in the port of Salerno, near Naples, following the disembarkation of 191 rescued migrants.
The Italian authorities ordered a 60-day detention for Geo Barents, claiming the ship endangered lives and failed to provide timely information during a night rescue operation. However, MSF strongly rejected these accusations, stating that the crew acted after seeing numerous people falling or being pushed overboard from a small boat as a Libyan coastguard vessel approached. According to MSF, they had no choice but to intervene to save lives.
The Meloni government, led by the hard-right Brothers of Italy party, has been promoting its success in reducing irregular migration across the Mediterranean, with a significant drop in the number of people reaching Italian shores without proper documentation. This year, Italy has recorded just over 39,500 irregular arrivals by sea, compared to 112,500 during the same period last year. However, humanitarian organizations like MSF, Oxfam Italia, and SOS Humanity have accused Rome of obstructing civilian search and rescue efforts, which they argue has led to increased loss of life.
These organizations have formally complained to the European Commission, questioning whether Italy’s policies are in line with EU and international law. The Commission is still examining the issue. Juan Matias Gil, who leads MSF’s Mediterranean operations, criticized the government’s actions, stating, “They are presenting this as a success to the public, but the reality is a high cost in human lives and severe human rights violations.”
Despite the decrease in migrant arrivals, the number of shipwrecks and drownings in the Mediterranean remains high. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 1,027 migrants have been lost at sea this year, with 424 confirmed dead and 603 missing. These tragedies include a significant shipwreck off Italy’s southern coast in June, where approximately 70 people, mostly from Syria, Iran, and Iraq, lost their lives. Additionally, over 13,700 migrants intercepted at sea have been returned to Libya, where they often face detention and abuse.
Since coming to power in late 2022, Meloni’s government has introduced strict rules to limit the capacity of humanitarian groups to conduct rescue operations. Authorities have detained 10 humanitarian search and rescue boats for periods ranging from 20 to 60 days, with some boats, like the Geo Barents, being detained multiple times. These detentions have collectively resulted in a loss of 480 days at sea for rescue missions since early 2023.
Humanitarian groups continue to face significant challenges under Italy’s tightened policies. Many vessels are often directed to distant ports to disembark rescued migrants, which lengthens their journeys and reduces their time available for patrol and rescue. MSF announced plans to challenge the detention of Geo Barents in court, but such legal processes are typically slow, often concluding long after the vessels have been released. Despite these setbacks, humanitarian crews, including those from the MV Louise Michel funded by the artist Banksy, remain committed to their mission. Recently, the MV Louise Michel rescued 229 people from seven boats in distress, just days after being released from its own detention.