The Italian government has passed a decree into international law which further criminalises civil groups performing rescues at sea.

As reported previously in the Digest, the decree states that rescue ships must disembark their passengers immediately, without undertaking any further rescues. This is against the United Nations Law of the Sea, which states that a ship is obliged to rescue people in distress. Additionally, ports of safety are to be assigned by authorities, which in practice means ships have to travel much farther with their rescued passengers.

The fast that the new law goes against international and European law has led SOS Humanity to call on the EU to take action against Italy.

The need for civil rescue ships is undeniable. At least 73 people are still missing after a shipwreck off the Libyan Coast. The boat was carrying 80 people, only seven of whom have so far been recovered.