Eighteen organizations involved in search and rescue (SAR) in the Central Mediterranean have signed a declaration in which they express their "deepest concern at the latest attempt by a European government to impede assistance to people in distress at sea" in reference to the recent provisions of the Italian government for the management of migration flows. "The new decree legislation, approved by the Italian president on January 2, 2023, would restrict rescue capabilities at sea and make the central Mediterranean, one of the deadliest migratory routes, even more dangerous," the groups say in their statement. The regulation is nominally directed at civilian rescue NGOs, but the true cost would be borne by persons attempting to traverse the central Mediterranean while in danger." "Since 2014, private rescue ships have filled the hole that European nations have intentionally created by suspending their SAR operations. NGO's have played a crucial role in filling this void and averting further loss of life at sea by consistently adhering to current rules. However, EU Member States, headed by Italy, have been attempting for years to block civilian search and rescue missions via defamation, administrative measures, and the criminalization of NGOs and activists. "Overall, the Italian decree legislation defies international maritime law, human rights, and European law, and should therefore prompt a strong response from the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Member States, and the European institutions," underline the organizations.
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