Italy seizes Sea-Watch 3 rescue vessel
Italy's far-right interior minister has condemned the seizure of the ship, saying migrants on board should not have set foot in Italy. However, the condition of the refugees had swayed the authorities' opinion.
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Italy's Salvini orders ports to block ship carrying 65 migrants
A ship operated by the German rescue charity Sea Watch rescued more than 60 migrants near Libya. Italy's far-right interior minister said he doesn't want them "getting near Italian territorial waters."
Italian prosecutors don't uphold Mare Jonio ship seizure
Prosecutors in Agrigento have rejected the preventive seizure of the NGO-run search-and-rescue ship Mare Jonio but have ordered to keep the vessel in custody in order to investigate evidence in a case in which the ship's captain is accused of allegedly aiding and abetting illegal immigration.
EU countries put pressure on refugee sea rescue missions
A court in Malta has fined a German captain for sailing an improperly registered rescue ship to save displaced people on the Mediterranean Sea. Malta and Italy have repeatedly closed ports to volunteer rescue ships.
Italy plans to fine NGOs per rescued migrant
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has announced a new security decree that cracks down further on NGOs helping migrants and redistributes ministries' competencies regarding the sea. The draft of the new decree, which has not yet been released, has already set off controversy.
Italian ships rescue more than 60 migrants
On Thursday, more than 60 migrants were picked up by two Italian ships: a naval ship and a private NGO vessel. While Matteo Salvini, Italy‘s Interior Minister and leader of the right-wing League (La Liga) party, reiterated that the ports should remain closed, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, has agreed to open the ports. All the migrants were disembarked Friday.
Hoping to help: The long journey of a Spanish rescue ship banned from rescues
The Aita Mari was supposed to run search and rescue missions in the Central Mediterranean. But the Spanish government denied the ship permission to do so and blocked it from setting sail for months. That's why the crew decided to go on an aid mission in Greece instead.
Italy 'only for those with a right to it', Salvini
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has announced a new directive that "reiterates that Italian waters and skies can be crossed only by those with a right to it. No other type of entry to Italy is allowed."
Alan Kurdi: Migrants disembark in Malta, NGO crew blocked from landing
More than 60 migrants stranded off the coast of Malta on the Sea-Eye NGO vessel disembarked in the capital Valetta on Saturday. Meanwhile, the crew was blocked from landing and is headed towards Spain.
Four EU countries agree to welcome migrants from Alan Kurdi
The Maltese government announced on Saturday April 13 that more than 60 migrants on board the German run rescue ship, the Alan Kurdi would be shared between four countries, Germany, France, Portugal and Luxembourg.
Frontex denies documentation of NGO-trafficker collusion
The EU border agency Frontex has denied having documented any "collusion" between NGOs and human traffickers. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had claimed earlier in the week that Frontex knew of NGOs aiding smugglers.
French interior minister says NGOs play 'essential role'
The French interior minister has said that non-government organizations play an essential role in providing aid to migrants. In a video posted on social media, he said he had not been questioning the sincerity of NGOs in commenting that some were proven to have links with traffickers.