MaltaMedia.com

Rai News has reported that another boat with 77 immigrants on board was accompanied back to Libya by an Italian tug boat.

Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has confirmed that the taking back to Libya of immigrants found on boats marks a new phase in the fight against irregular immigration.

However, the Vatican, together with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, have criticised this stance. In fact, the Italian spokesperson for the UNHCR, Laura Boldrini, has confirmed that “immigrants who need protection, such as asylum seekers and refugees, cannot be sent back to countries like Libya where their lives or their freedom could be in danger”.

Amnesty International defined this new stance by Italy as “without any precedent” after the Italian Government decided to send back to Libya 277 migrants found in the Maltese SAR (Search and Rescue zone) a few days ago without considering their need for protection.

The Italian rescue branch of the Order of Malta, present on patrol vessels of the Italian Coastguard, invited all involved to find a solution to guarantee the dignity of these immigrants, as opposed to what happened in the last few occasions when they witnessed the sending back to Libya of hundreds of immigrants found in the Malta SAR.