C a r o l i n a   R a p e z z i

There are 142 people on board the Life Support ship of Emergency disembarking at the port of Livorno (Tuscany, Italy) on the 22nd December 2022. 

 

The survivors come from Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Pakistan, and Somalia. They are divided into 109 men; 26 unaccompanied minors aged between 13 and 17; 5 women, one of whom is 7 months pregnant; and 2 children under the age of 2.

 

The first Life Support  disembarkment marked the enforcement of the new Meloni-Piantedosi "Safe Ports" decree. This decree mandates that rescue ships, including those of NGOs, must take migrants to "safe ports" rather than the nearest ones. A "safe port" is defined by factors beyond geographic proximity, including safety and the capacity to accommodate rescued individuals.

 

This approach has sparked international debate, with concerns that it may increase loss of life and violate the rights of those rescued at sea, as international law requires states to ensure prompt disembarkation at a safe port. The decree indeed involves directing ships to more distant Italian ports, reducing the ability to patrol high-risk areas in the Central Mediterranean and limiting NGO operations in the Mediterranean.