Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused a German non-governmental search-and-rescue organization “Sea-Watch”of ignoring the role of human traffickers in the deaths of thousands of illegal immigrants.
Meloni accused Sea-Watch of saying nothing about the role of human traffickers who “got rich by killing thousands of people,” adding she had travelled to Libya to attempt to halt illegal migration to Europe through the Mediterranean.
The Italian government would continue to work “to stop human trafficking, illegal immigration and deaths at sea,” Meloni said addressing Sea-Watch directly on X. “Whether Sea-Watch like it or not.” Rome has for years been battling the efforts of civilian volunteer organizations rescuing migrants attempting to reach Italy illegally via the Mediterranean.
Meloni’s government has passed a law compelling rescue organizations to head to a designated port immediately after picking up migrants, without continuing their patrol to look for others.
Source: Qatar News Agency