Italy Pushes for EU Directive to Equate NGOs with Human Traffickers, Claims Open Arms

Brussels: Open Arms, a Spanish non-governmental organization dedicated to rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean, has accused Italy of driving a proposed European Union directive that could criminalize their rescue operations. The accusation was made during a press conference at the European Parliament by ‚¬„¢scar Camps, the founder of Open Arms.

According to Ansa News Agency, the Italian government is allegedly behind the initiative, which aims to equate the efforts of humanitarian organizations with those of human traffickers. Camps voiced concerns that the directive would provide Italy with the latitude to interpret the rules in a manner that would further its policy of targeting humanitarian organizations. “Italy needs this ambiguity to pursue its persecutory policy against humanitarian organisations,” he claimed. Camps further warned that allowing such interpretations could effectively hand control over their rescue operations to Italian authorities.

The proposed directive has sparked controversy, with Camps emphasizing that Europe is “criminalizing those like us who try to save the lives of migrants at sea.” He criticized the directive as unacceptable and ambiguous, as it allows individual countries the freedom to interpret it differently, potentially undermining the work of NGOs across the region.

The Italian government has previously criticized NGO-run search-and-rescue ships, arguing that they act as a “pull” factor for migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean. It has implemented measures aimed at restricting the activities of these organizations, reinforcing its stance on managing migration flows into Europe.