NGOs that operate illegally in the
Mediterranean rescuing migrants should pay newly introduced
government fines for breaking a new code of conduct just like
citizens have to pay traffic fines, Transport Minister Matteo
Salvini said Thursday.
The government has approved new rules for migrant rescue NGOs
mandating the technical suitability of their ships, and transit
and rescue in Italian territorial waters only for fast rescues.
Fines of up to 50,000 euros have been set for those who break
the code.
Ships may be impounded for up to two months, or even seized
under the new norms.
Salvini, head of the anti-migrant League party, is a former
strongman interior minister who stopped NGO run ships docking in
Italy during his stint at the Viminale from 2018 to 2019, a
policy the new government led by conservative Premier Giorgia
Meloni resurrected only to retreat from.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
