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A global humanitarian organization that has saved thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea announced it will cease the operations of its rescue vessel due to recent Italian regulations that “have rendered it unfeasible to continue.”
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), formally known as Médecins Sans Frontières, has been deploying the Geo Barents ship since June 2021 across numerous missions.
Last year, Sky News was onboard during the rescue of over 600 individuals who were tightly packed in an aging fishing boat.
This was the largest rescue operation conducted by the charity, and our coverage ignited renewed discussions regarding perilous migration paths among lawmakers in the United Kingdom and across the European Union.
A young injured man shown last year being elevated onto the vessel with assistance
The lower decks of the Geo Barents crowded with more than 600 people following a rescue.
The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as the most perilous migratory passage globally.
The charity reported that the Geo Barents facilitated the rescue of 12,675 individuals during 190 missions, in addition to recovering 24 deceased persons and aiding in the birth of a baby.
However, MSF asserted that Italian legislation, revised last year, has effectively hindered operations of large rescue vessels.
This law imposes limitations on the authorities of non-profit organizations (NGOs) in conducting rescue activities.
The regulations mandate that vessels return to port immediately after completing a single rescue, regardless of the number of individuals they have brought to safety.
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Non-profits have argued that a vessel the size of Geo Barents, capable of housing approximately 600 individuals, should not be obliged to return after only a few rescues.
Additionally, there has been an ongoing disagreement among NGOs about which port they should use when disembarking rescued migrants in Italy.
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Rather than docking at the nearest port, NGO vessels frequently receive instructions to make
“`long voyages to far-off harbors.
During a filming session with Sky News aboard the Geo Barents, we observed how the vessel, filled to the brim with individuals, was instructed to bypass multiple ports en route to Bari.
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The Italian administration has imposed a series of sanctions on the Geo Barents for violations of its regulations, compelling the ship to remain docked for 160 days. Additionally, it has imposed fines on MSF for disregarding these regulations.
Italian lawmakers have accused rescue organizations of promoting illegal migration, asserting that individuals feel more emboldened to undertake the perilous journey because they anticipate being rescued.
Giorgia Meloni committed to implementing a much more rigorous stance on unauthorized immigration during her election as prime minister two years ago, and she has already curtailed the rights of migrants entering the nation.
She has also formalized an agreement permitting migrants arriving in Italy to be transferred to Albania while their asylum claims are under evaluation.
Ms. Meloni proclaimed that Italy now serves as “a model to emulate” for other nations grappling with the societal issues surrounding migration.
MSF announced it would “return as swiftly as feasible” to engage in further search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean sea, but stated that it was “unsustainable” to persist with operations of the Geo Barents.
