Italy has requested the seizure of the MV Aquarius for alleged anomalies in its disposal of on-board waste. It is the latest obstacle to the rescue ship operating in the Mediterranean.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/B. Horvat
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Italian prosecutors requested the seizure of the Aquarius on Tuesday for alleged anomalies in its disposal of on-board waste.
The ship's operators slammed the move as a "disproportionate and unfounded measure purely aimed at further criminalizing lifesaving medical-humanitarian action at sea."
The Aquarius — run by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors without Borders (MSF) — is currently docked at the French port of Marseille due to having its registration flag revoked twice in two months, so the Italian confiscation order was not executed.
'Medical waste'
Prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Catania said they documented the illegal disposal of 24,000 kilograms of waste by the Aquarius and another MSF ship, the Vos Prudence, between January 2017 and May 2018.
Prosecutors said the waste included clothing worn by migrants with contagious diseases such as scabies, as well as blood-stained bandages and other medical waste.
The ships' crews were accused of dumping the waste material while docked at Italian ports, without separating potentially dangerous items.
By doing so, they avoided paying 460,000 euros ($526,000) of waste disposal costs, prosecutors said. They ordered that this sum be frozen in the accounts of the charities.
Salvini welcomes the seizure request
MSF refuted the accusations and said its vessels have always followed standard procedures. It plans to appeal to Italian courts.
Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, said the investigation justified his decisions. "I was right to block NGO ships," he said. "I stopped not only the trafficking of migrants but also, as it appears, the trafficking of waste," he said in a statement.
NGO ship rescues Europe-bound migrants in Mediterranean
The search-and-rescue ship Aquarius saved nearly 300 people in the Mediterranean Sea over Easter. European maritime authorities prevented the NGO workers from rescuing 80-90 men during one operation.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
First on site
At around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, the search-and-rescue vessel Aquarius, along with the Libyan coast guard, was alerted by the Italian Rescue Maritime Coordination Center (IMRCC) that a rubber boat was in distress in international waters. Aquarius is manned by rescue workers from SOS Mediteranee, medics from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and a nautical and technical crew.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
People in distress
Aquarius made first contact with the rubber boat in international waters at around 11:00 a.m. Soon after, the SOS head coordinator was informed by IMRCC that the Libyan coastguard would take charge of the rescue operation. As people in the overcrowded rubber boat, visibly in distress, waved frantically, Aquarius was instructed to standby and wait for further instructions.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
Helping hand
Two hours later, and with no Libyan coastguard in sight, the Aquarius was able to convince the IMRCC and the Libyans to allow them to rescue children, women and families. They evacuated 39 vulnerable people. They had to leave the remaining 80-90 men on the rubber boat to the Libyan coastguard. The Aquarius has the capacity to carry 500 rescued people.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
All in it together
MSF nurse Sylvie was on board the Aquarius' fast-speed rescue boat, whose personnel identified medical and vulnerable cases later evacuated to the NGO ship. Over the course of three missions, the staff saved 292 people from more than 20 countries, the majority from sub-Saharan Africa. Besides showing signs of dehydration, exhaustion and weakness, some also displayed signs of physical abuse.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
Having fun
As parents rested on the ship's deck, MSF logistician Francois took a moment to interact with the newly arrived children. Those rescued got a chance to bond with the ship's crew as well as to express themselves in safe and secure surroundings.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
Doctor's orders
Dr. Dan from California gave each new arrival a check-up to see whether anyone was in need of urgent medical care. Once on land, those rescued are examined by local medical staff in Italy.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
Holding tight in rough weather
As the vessel pitched and rolled in strong winds, SOS Mediteranee team member Theo cuddled a child rescued the day before. "As a seaman it's your duty to save anybody in distress," he said. "We all shed tears yesterday. I had a baby and children in my arms. We helped some women. What's the most important is to get all these out people out of the water, to save them and for them to survive."
Image: DW/F. Warwick
Thanking the Lord
As the Aquarius approached the Sicilian city of Messina, the designated Italian port of safety, many of the rescued women began singing French and English gospel songs praising the Lord and thanking him for safe passage across the Mediterranean Sea.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
On terra firma
Francois personally helped all 292 men, women and children disembark. "Emotionally it was really hard, because once the last guy stepped out on shore, it was over. I could just call everyone and say disembarkation successfully finished, and then I felt empty."
Image: DW/F. Warwick
Thank-you kiss
These lucky people made it to Europe. According to international NGOs figures, between 750,000 and 900,000 immigrants and asylum-seekers remain trapped in Libya, whose migrant detention centers the UN has called inhumane. Many see merely one way out: to attempt to cross one of the world's most deadly seas in rubber dinghies that can only be considered floating death traps.
Image: DW/F. Warwick
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Last of the rescue ships
Before losing its flag, the Aquarius was the last privately-operated ship conducting rescue missions in the Mediterranean.
More than 17,000 migrants have died attempting the dangerous voyage to Europe across the sea since 2014. That year, the number of migrants making the crossing surged, triggering what would be dubbed a migration crisis in 2015.
Since then, several EU member states have been critical of irregular migration, including Italy, which has prevented search and rescue vessels carrying migrants from docking at the country's ports.
