Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi
on Wednesday reiterated the government's assertion that NGO-run
rescue ships are encouraging small boats carrying asylum seekers
to attempt the hazardous crossing from Libya to Italy.
The government is trying to discourage the activities of NGO-run
ships and has started to allocate ports of safety to them that
are some distance from their position after making the rescues.
It has also passed a code of conduct under which NGO-run ships
must immediately request the authorities assign them a port of
safety after making a rescue, rather than staying at sea to help
other people.
"The presence of the NGO ships, combined with the climatic
conditions, have got dinghies going from Libya again, including
the most fragile vessels," Piantedosi said regarding the Geo
Barents ship, which was told to go to the northern port of La
Spezia after picking up 69 people on Tuesday in waters off
Libya.
"We complain about this, they complain about the long voyages.
"A shipwreck and a rescue are occasional events. Systematic
searching, which encourages departures, is different.
"The presence of the NGOs has got dinghies, not well-structured
boats, making departures. This is the phenomenon that we have
registered".
The Geo Barents, which is operated by Doctors Without Frontiers
(MSF), said Wednesday that it conducted a new rescue after
heading north and had picked up 61 more people, taking the total
on board up to 130.
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