Doctors Without Borders, detention and fine for Geo Barents: unacceptable

The first measure issued against a non-governmental organization after the introduction of the so-called NGO decree, which became law, has been triggered against the Doctors Without Borders ship. The communication, which arrived only in these hours after the landing on 17 February in Ancona with 48 migrants on board, was reported by the MSF staff itself: “The Italian authorities have informed us that the Geo Barents, the ship of search and rescue of Médecins Sans Frontières, was hit by an administrative detention of 20 days and a fine of 10 thousand euros. The Port Authority of Ancona contests us, in the light of the new decree, for not having provided all the information requested during the last rotation which ended with the landing in Ancona”​
But the organization is now “evaluating the legal actions to be taken to contest the incident. It is not acceptable to be punished for saving lives.”

⚫️ BREAKING NEWS
Italian authorities came on board the #GeoBarents and notified our team that the ship is being detained and a fine would be applied. We are currently assessing what legal actions we can take to contest.
❌ This is not acceptable! pic.twitter.com/Mo3n5c8R1b

— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) February 23, 2023

Already after the introduction of the NGO decree – Thursday converted into law by Parliament and which introduces a series of sanctions for humanitarian organizations that do not comply with the new rules – the ship Geo Barents had carried out other rescues in the Mediterranean, all concluded with the assignment of a port by the Italian authorities, as happened for other non-governmental organizations. The next to land in these hours – in the port of Ortona (Chieti) – will be the Aita Mari ship of the Spanish NGO ‘Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario’, which has 40 migrants on board.

The measure against Geo Barents now risks triggering a new controversy from the world of humanitarian organizations involved in rescues in the Mediterranean, who are already protesting against the Senate’s definitive go-ahead for the decree. The latter provides for certain rules: among these, the possession by the Organizations of all the authorizations issued by the competent authorities of the flag State and the requirements of technical-nautical suitability for the safety of navigation in territorial waters. They are also obliged to request the assignment of the port of unloading immediately after the rescue and then immediately head towards the communicated destination.