As the European Union elections draw near, the Italian branch of SOS Mediterranee has initiated a petition aimed at altering the direction of policies concerning the rescue of migrants and refugees at sea. Valeria Taurino, the organization’s director, announced the petition from the port of Siracusa on the Italian island of Sicily, aboard the Ocean Viking ship on February 29.
“We want to launch a petition to change the direction of policies on sea rescues,” stated Taurino, highlighting concerns over the 16 administrative detentions faced by NGO ships in the past year for allegedly violating the Piantedosi decree, which undermines international maritime law.
Taurino emphasized the urgent need for policy reform, particularly in light of the actions taken by Libyan authorities. She criticized the increasingly harsh policies hindering and criminalizing sea rescues, attributing the detentions of NGO ships to false information from the Libyan Coast Guard, which allegedly intercepts migrants unlawfully and forcibly pushes them back into perilous situations at sea.
The Italian branch of SOS Mediterranee has called for a commitment from European Parliament candidates, urging an end to measures that obstruct sea rescues, enforcement of international maritime law, and termination of agreements with third countries such as Libya, Tunisia, and Albania. They also advocate redirecting EU funds from border control to enhancing sea rescue operations.
The petition aims to promote more humane policies and will be presented to European leaders and parliamentary candidates to gauge their support for these initiatives.