Italians Suspend Ocean Viking Ship for Multiple Rescue Missions

The Ocean Viking, a vessel operated by the French-based non-governmental group SOS Mediterranee, has been temporarily suspended by Italian authorities for conducting multiple rescue operations that are said to violate Italian law.

Reports from Italian media state that the Ocean Viking recently carried out rescue operations in which 261 irregular migrants were saved off the coast of Libya.

After arriving at the Port of Brindisi in southeastern Italy to disembark the rescued individuals, the Ocean Viking faced a 20-day suspension imposed by the Brindisi Port Authority. This suspension was due to the vessel's involvement in multiple rescue operations at sea, which were found to be in breach of Italian regulations.

Consequently, the NGO ship is currently prohibited from leaving the port during this period.

This decision was made by the coalition government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which assumed power in Italy in October 2022.

The government has taken measures to restrict the operations of NGO ships, accusing them of being a "pull factor" for irregular migrants, by implementing various decrees and laws.

One notable legislation, referred to as the NGO law, was passed by the Meloni government in early 2023. This law mandates that NGO ships, following their initial rescue operations, promptly proceed to a designated port to disembark the rescued individuals, without engaging in further rescue missions.