Third aid for Geo Barents. MSF: «Maritime law respected». Viminale: we will check Corriere.it

The Geo Barents, a Doctors Without Borders boat, collected 61 migrants in one third subsequent save while heading towards the port of disembarkation assigned by the Italian authorities with 170 other people already rescued: La Spezia. By leaving the course to respond to an alarm, he violated the Piantedosi decree which does not allow detours after an initial rescue. «The NGOs complain about the long journey (to reach the carriage forward, ed) – says the Minister of the Interior – but the rescue and the shipwreck are something occasional, not a systematic research, which instead restarts the dinghies ». From the Viminale filters the intention to clarify the moment of the landing, expected between Saturday night and Sunday.

“On our way north we received an alert from Alarm PhoneGeo Barents headed towards the reported point, but while sailing we encountered another boat in distress in international waters, in the Sar Libya area. We thus carried out the rescue: 61 peopleincluding 13 women and 24 minors (one child is less than 1 year old). The Italian authorities have been warned, but we have not received any response at the moment”.

The communication from Médecins Sans Frontières confirms that the Geo Barents boat has rescued migrants at sea in three different operations. This circumstance would expose the NGO to a sanction, based on the decree on migrants, adopted in Italy. The total number of rescued and on board the Geo Barents is therefore 237 migrants.

The vessel continued sailing after the second rescue to the first report of a vessel in distress she had received from Alarm Phone, “in accordance with international maritime law”, argued by the NGO. The law decree signed by Minister Matteo Piantedosi, however, provides that ‘the assigned port of discharge by the competent authorities» which in this case was La Spezia «is reached without delay for the completion of the rescue intervention».

The minister Plantedspeaking on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the fire brigade school’s academic year, returned to the theme: «There is this strange coincidence: the presence of NGO ships and the climatic conditions make the dinghies leave Libya, even the most fragile boats. We complain about that, they complain about the long haul. Rescue and shipwreck are something occasional, not systematic research, which leads to departures because the presence of NGOs happens to restart the rafts”.

Upon landing in La Speziawe learn from the Viminale, it will be assessed whether or not the Médecins Sans Frontières vessel complied with the requirements of the law decree which impose to reach the indicated port “without delay”.