In a letter to the Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, dated 26 January and published on Thursday 2 February, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, called on the Italian government to withdraw or revise Decree Law 1/2023 (the so-called ‘safety decree’), which provides for a framework for activities undertaken by vessels dedicated to the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean.
Some provisions of the text “could hamper NGO search and rescue operations and, therefore, be at variance with Italy’s obligations under human rights and international law”, warned Ms Mijatović, referring to the assignment of remote ports to disembark people who have been rescued at sea.
Furthermore, the Commissioner also reiterated her call to the Italian authorities to suspend their cooperation with the Libyan government regarding interception in the central Mediterranean.
Based on its “Recommendation on ending pushbacks in Europe”, it requests additional information on allegations that people are being returned from Italy to Greece, where “they are reportedly deprived of their liberty in worrying conditions”.
Link to the letter of the Commissioner for Human Rights: https://aeur.eu/f/56q (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)