Italian coastguards unhappy as govt closes port to migrants

ROME:

The decision by Italy’s new populist government to close the country’s ports to migrants saved at sea is causing unease within the heart of the Italian coastguard, some staff say, who until recently played a key role in rescue missions.

Over the last decade, the coastguard has coordinated the rescue of hundreds of thousands of migrants off the coast of Libya, in many cases pulling them from the water themselves in treacherous conditions.

But as of June, they have been ordered to transfer calls for help and reports of boats in distress to the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Now – despite a culture of traditionally not criticising government policy – a handful of coastguard staff have spoken out.

In an interview with Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore, a coastguard admiral criticised the government and in particular far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini’s new hardline stance.

The admiral recalled that the Italian justice system had deemed Libya was not a “safe place” for rescued people to returned to.

Many migrants are desperate not to go back to Libya as they potentially face abuse and rape in detention centres.

The admiral also denounced the absence of an official decree or act regarding the decision to close the country’s ports to migrants.

In recent weeks, the policy has left the coastguard powerless as several ships with rescued migrants aboard spent days stranded in the Mediterranean unable to dock in Italy.

At an event marking the 153rd anniversary of the Italian Coastguard, admiral Giovanni Pettorino, coastguard commander, evoked the memory of Salvatore Todaro, a submariner who during WWII took serious risks to rescue the survivors of a ship he had just sunk.

“In times of war, these things are not done,” a German admiral is said to have told Todaro at the time.

The coastguard commander concluded his speech given before Italy’s new political authorities by recalling Todaro’s response: “We are Italian sailors. We have 2,000 years of civility behind us and we do these things.”

Speaking to Catholic daily Avvenire and Radio Radicale, coastguard officers said the priority is to rescue those in danger.

On July 13, the coastguard was sent to keep watch on 450 migrants crammed into a fishing boat, but took part in a later rescue mission even though Rome had told them to let Malta take charge, the officers said. — AFP