This morning, the Rear Admiral Giuseppe AulicinoHead of Division III – Plans and Operations of the General Command of Port Authorities, was in hearing before the Joint Commission on Constitutional Affairs and Transport, which is examining the final decree NGO ships. The senior officer’s analysis was quite thorough and distinguished the various routes affecting our country. This shows that the percentages updated by the NGOs were wrong by default. But not only that, the Coast Guard has also contradicted the narrative of non-governmental organizations and highlighted the critical issues encountered in the operational arena, which are also in the government’s sights.
The number of migrant flows
In fact, the rear admiral explained that our country is affected by two different migratory flows emanating from Libya: “One out Tripolitaniain which more than 33,000 migrants left and arrived in Italy, an unchanged number compared to the previous year, and one of Cyrenaicawhere last year there was a new very important flow that caused 20,000 migrants to arrive in Italy.” As the senior officer explained, the NGO ships work exclusively on one route, the one that starts from Tripolitania, specifically from Zuara. The ships of the non-governmental organizations position themselves off these coasts to wait for the sea carts loaded with migrants.
The NGOs, as reported by Giuseppe Aulicino, “have saved over 11,000 people who 34% of them left Tripolitania“. These are very different numbers when broken down as follows compared to what NGOs and the left have so far played off to demonstrate that these are only a small proportion of migrants arriving in Italy. How come NGOs don’t deal with it too? Is there another route that leaves Libya? This is the one, explained the rear admiral, that worries the Italian authorities the most: “They will be big 20-25 meter fishing boats deployed, capable of navigating even in unfavorable weather conditions, carrying up to 700 migrants, and we must intervene with numerous means at great distances from the nearest coasts”.
Port and security: the results of the Piantedosi Decree
The decree signed by Piantedosi is useful, according to the Coast Guard’s analysis, to counter irregular flows, despite the whims of NGOs and the left. “It brings new aspects: NGO ships have always complained that the Italian authorities granted the port of disembarkation too long, even after 10 days. Now the pos is assigned immediately and that has a positive effect to life on board the migrants, knowing that in a short time they will be taken to a national port,” said Aulicino. The officer then underlined how this decree eliminates some previously existing security problems: “There used to be too security issues with people who got angry after so many days at sea. So now there are better ways for NGO ships to do their jobs.”
Multiple bailouts and flag state disinterest
And also on the topic saved multiple times, Aulicino pointed out: “If, on the way to the indicated position, the ship encounters a unit that needs to be rescued, the commander must intervene and our means also intervene to rescue several boats”. Parking off the Libyan coast is forbidden, that’s completely different. In addition, the rear admiral also wanted to underline how Italy has always taken care of sea rescue: “In all cases where Italian-flagged commercial units found themselves able to help people in danger outside the Italian Sars region, in the absence of coordination instructions from Coordination center for sea rescue area jurisdiction has always exercised its jurisdiction over them”.
Giuseppe Aulicino then explained in a hearing before the commissions that the other countries were not equally responsible: “Regarding the Central Mediterranean scenario, a similar position has never been implemented by other states, including those of the European Union, especially in cases where the intervening ships were attributable to non-governmental organizations”. Put simply, the rear admiral emphasized the disinterest of the flag countries for their vessels, particularly those of NGOs, and place all responsibility for coordination on Italy, even if the operations are not carried out in the Italian Sar area. Once again, those actively working on these scenarios confirm the critical points highlighted by the government, which since taking office has called for the application of international law, including with regard to flag State responsibilities.