Italy bans NGO planes from using airports close to migrant routes

8/5/2024 6:20

        Italy said on Tuesday that planes used by charities to track migrant boats in difficulty would no longer be able to fly from airports on the islands of Sicily, Pantelleria and Lampedusa that are close to the shipping routes.
        
        The decision, announced by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), will make it much harder for non-governmental groups like Sea Watch to use its small planes to scour the central Mediterranean for boats in need of rescue.
        
        "(This is) an act of cowardice and cynicism by those who criminalize the NGOs for political propaganda," Sea Watch said in a statement on X, adding that it still planned to take to the skies to help migrants in distress.
        
        In a written ordinance, ENAC said the planes were "unwarranted," represented a burden for the official rescue teams and risked compromising the safety of undocumented migrants.
        
        The NGO spotter planes regularly find boats in distress and direct rescuers to their location. They have also documented aggressive pushbacks by Libyan coast guards, who receive European funding to prevent migrants from crossing the sea.