“We are walking on our heads,” protests a manager of SOS Méditerranée

SOS Méditerranée has just been sanctioned by Italy after the rescue of 128 migrants by the Ocean Viking and their disembarkation in Ortona on Wednesday. The association received a 20-day immobilization order from the Italian authorities, accompanied by a fine of 3,300 euros. “We walk on the head”protests Laurence Bondard, operations communications manager at the SOS Méditerranée association.

The Ocean Viking has been immobilized since Wednesday in Ortona on the Italian coast after disembarking 128 migrants in distress, rescued during three operations. Rome criticizes the association for not having respected a decree which obliges NGOs, since January, to direct their rescue ship, as soon as an operation is over, to the port designated for them by the Italian authorities. . However, at the end of its first operation, the boat came across a second boat in danger.

“When people are in danger, we help them”

SOS Méditerranée says it did everything to obtain instructions from the Libyan authorities without obtaining it. The Ocean Viking therefore chose to rescue them. “On the one hand, we are asked to respect instructions” with the decree of the Italian authorities, “and on the other, we must respect maritime law which is extremely clear: there is an absolute obligation to save people who are in imminent danger of death as was the case”explains Laurence Bondard.

“Immobilizing ambulance boats in the central Mediterranean, preventing boats from carrying out rescues, makes no sense.”

Laurence Bondard, SOS Méditerranée

at franceinfo

The manager expresses her “great frustration” and its “anger” against one “level of criminalization” NGOs that “continues to grow from year to year and month to month”. This is not the first time that the association has paid the price for this Italian legislation, put in place by the far-right government of Giorgia Meloni: “Since the beginning of the year, there have been 12 immobilizations between our boat and the other civilian rescue boats.”

“It absolutely must stop and maritime law regains its dominance and we all find a little logic. When people are in danger, we come to their aid”launches Laurence Bondard.