SOS Méditerranée rescue ship chained in Italy | outside

“Discussions are taking place with the relevant parties,” says the aid organization. The crew of the Ocean Viking, working with the International Federation of the Red Cross, had to deal with a violent incident that occurred in the Mediterranean Sea five days earlier.

After a rescue operation, the Libyan Coast Guard fired shots less than a hundred meters away from the humanitarian rescue team and the castaways. More than 1,800 people trying to reach Europe have died in the Mediterranean since the beginning of January.

“The situation in the Mediterranean is very worrying,” said Sophie Beau, director general of SOS Méditerranée France. “Responders are under attack while death rates are alarmingly high.”

Five organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, have lodged a complaint with the European Commission against Italy over its handling of rescue operations at sea. According to them, Italian legislation is at odds with European rules.

The authorities, as a result of a tougher stance recently, have prohibited ships from conducting more than one rescue operation at a time. Boats must sail without delay to a port designated by the government. NGOs consider the imposed rules excessive.

Aid organizations accuse the authorities of choosing ports far from the rescue site. This increases the risk to the people being rescued. This system also increases costs to NGOs, which organizations regret.

look. The Libyan Coast Guard fires at a Red Cross rescue ship