The Italian Coast Guard denied on Sunday having asked a merchant ship, which rescued 30 migrants, to bring them back to the North African country, according to news platform Swissinfo.
This comes after Sea Watch International, a non-governmental organization, accused the Italian authorities on Saturday of making such order, which the NGO deemed to be “a violation of the non-refoulement principle”.
The Italian Coast Guard said “it has not given instructions, or rather orders, to the command of the ship GRIMSTAD to head, after having carried out the rescue of the migrants, towards the Libyan coast”.
It explained that the request for help from the boat had occurred some 50 miles from the Libyan coast, within the Search and Rescue (SAR) zone of the North African country, and therefore the relief operations were carried out under Libya’s responsibility.
Thus, the Italian Coast Guard said the merchant ship GRIMSTAD, with the Bahamas flag, handed the migrants over to the Libyan authorities in waters off the port city of Zueitina.
Sea Watch made its accusation against Rome after assisting in the interception at sea from their Seabird surveillance aircraft, with which they operate in the central Mediterranean.
In a recorded audio released public by Sea Watch, the NGO notified the commander of GRIMSTAD that, after rescuing the migrants, the ship’s obligation “includes taking them to a safe port” according to international.
To this, the command of the GRIMSTAD responded that they had instructions from the Operational Center of the Italian Coast Guard, although part of the recording is unintelligible.
🔴 Rescue coordination centre Rome orders merchant ship to break international law.
The GRIMSTAD has rescued ⁓30 people in the Med & was ordered by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Rome to take the people to Libya. This is a violation of the non-refoulement principle. pic.twitter.com/E5JwdRRrrB— Sea-Watch International (@seawatch_intl) April 29, 2023