Italy - November 2022

The new Italian far-right government has refused to let 35 asylum seekers disembark from a rescue boat run by the German organization, SOS Humanity. The government used its new immigration policy, which is aimed at stopping the arrival of asylum seekers from North Africa. The Italian government also prevented 215 people from another refugee rescue ship, called the Geo Barents, to disembark. It further refused permission to dock to the Ocean Viking, a ship rescuing 234 refugees. In response to this, the French government has suspended a plan to take in 3,500 refugees currently in Italy. As the tension between Italy and France is growing over the issue, at the end of November the European Interior Ministers supported a plan to better coordinate the arrival of immigrants in Europe.

Sources: The Guardian, British Broadcasting Corporation (1), Voice of America (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), Euronews, Voice of America (2)