UPROAR AS ITALY SEIZES RESCUE SHIP OVER BOGUS HIV INFECTION CLAIMS
▶ Populist government claimed the unsafe disposal of migrants’ clothing on the ‘Aquarius’ could harm public
The Italian authorities ordered the seizure of the migrant ship Aquarius after seizing on a bogus claim that HIV can be transmitted through old clothes.
Far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Italian media promoted a scare campaign that HIV, meningitis and tuberculosis could be passed on through contaminated garments.
“Apparently I was right to close our ports to these ships,” Mr Salvini tweeted. “You can’t play with the health of the Italian people.”
Prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Catania claimed that Doctors Without Borders – the humanitarian organisation operating the rescue ship – illegally described the garments as “special waste” rather than “toxic waste”, saving around €460,000 (Dh1.92 million) in disposal costs.
Twenty-four people associated with the Aquarius, including the ship’s captain, are being investigated for “trafficking and illegal management of waste”.
Sicilian prosecutors, currently investigating 24 tonnes of discarded material, also froze some of MSF’s Italian bank accounts.
The medical group rejected the accusations and filed an appeal. “How can an organisation like ours, which won the Nobel Peace Prize, stand accused of setting up an operation to illegally dispose of waste?” asked director general of Italy’s MSF division, Gabriele Eminente.
Mr Eminente said MSF was the victim of a political game.
MSF and another charity running the Aquarius – SOS Mediterranee – previously denounced “blatant economic and political pressure from the Italian government”, which they regard as responsible for Panama’s decision in September to revoke the Panamanian flag that had allowed the
Aquarius to operate at sea. Although it is still unclear whether MSF broke any rules in disposing of the waste material, there is no evidence the erroneous disposal could have resulted in HIV transmission.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control “close or lengthy contact” is necessary to spread meningitis bacteria, while tuberculosis “is transmitted through the air, not by surface contact”. However, Italian newspaper
Il Giornale reported on “dangerous garments” while Libero featured a quote by Mr Salvini in its headline. “HIV, syphilis, meningitis: ports will remain closed,” it said.
Mr Salvini spoke of “5,000 cases at risk of infection for HIV, syphilis, meningitis, tuberculosis and scabies” from clothes and bandages, but did not source this claim.
Italy has experienced a sharp fall in arrivals. In the first half of August, there were 73 per cent fewer arrivals than the same period last year.
Mr Salvini has taken credit for the drop, which he attributes to his crackdown on rescue ships providing a “taxi service” to migrants crossing from Libya to the Italian coast.
Experts including the International Organisation for Migration say there are various reasons for the drop, including the worsening humanitarian situation in Libya.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet sent a team to Italy after “alarming” antimigrant violence and its decision to prevent rescue ships from operating.
“Italy’s decision to close its sea ports, denying entry to NGO rescue ships, had serious consequences on the most vulnerable. Even though we are seeing a big drop in the numbers coming from Libya over the past 12 months, the numbers of those who died during the crossing is higher in the first six months of 2018 than it was,” Mrs Bachelet said.
Since coming to power in May, Mr Salvini also launched a census of Italy’s Roma minority with a view to deportations and suggested that “ethnic” shops be closed at 9pm as a security measure.
A group of 200 Roma people living on the capital’s outskirts marched through the streets of Rome on Wednesday to protest the decision of right-wing Gallarate mayor Andrea Cassani to expel the community and raze its camp.
“We are not Casamonica, we are poor people,” one member of the community told Italian TV, referring to a mafia family whose properties were recently seized by the authorities.
However, Mr Salvini rehashed a motto used against migrants, the EU and the mafia alike, saying: “The free ride is over.”