Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Italy closes ports to NGO ship carrying 179 migrants

Italy closes ports to NGO ship carrying 179 migrants

Only children, pregnant women and people in ill health will be let into Italy, Interior Minister Piantedosi says.
Italy said an NGO ship carrying 179 migrants will be turned away from Italian ports and redirected to international waters once minors and vulnerable people have disembarked.

Speaking to journalists on Friday following a cabinet meeting, newly-installed Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the government had adopted a decree requiring German-flagged vessel Humanity 1 — currently anchored off Sicily — to remain in Italy’s waters only temporarily.

“That will be only for the time necessary to check for emergencies on board, whether health-related or otherwise,” Piantedosi said, according to Italian press agency Adnkronos. Piantedosi said children, pregnant women and people in ill health will be let into Italy.

“People who are not in urgent need of help will have to be taken back to international waters,” the minister said.

Among the migrants rescued at sea by Humanity 1 are more than 100 unaccompanied minors, including a seven-month-old baby, according to media reports.

Piantedosi said that the ship “forced the situation” by entering Italian waters.

The position of the newly installed Italian government, led by right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is that ships should turn to their flag country to get access to a safe port. Italian newspaper La Repubblica, quoting people aboard Humanity 1, reported that people are falling ill and shivering on the deck and that inclement weather gave the crew no choice but to enter Italy’s waters to seek refuge.

Piantedosi said that the government decree toward the Humanity 1 was “the first act” of a policy aimed at calling on flag countries to “respect their obligations” while respecting human rights. But it is unlikely to be the the last: In a communication published in late October, the interior ministry singled out Humanity 1 alongside Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking — which is also stationed off Sicily and is carrying 234 people — as ships that may be forbidden access to Italian waters.

In his press conference, Piantedosi mentioned another vessel, Rise Above, that is grappling with an apparent mutiny. Adnkronos reported that government decrees analogous to the one adopted for Humanity 1 are in the pipeline for these two vessels.

Meloni made a hard-line approach to fighting illegal immigration as one of her key campaigning issues in the general election. Her government coalition partner, Matteo Salvini, when Interior minister in 2018-2019, had pioneered a similar combative stance towards NGOs rescuing migrants at sea, making the slogan “let’s close the ports” one of his calling cards.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
×