The Dutch-flagged migrant-ferry vessel Sea-Watch 3 is owned by the NGO Sea-Watch, which has its headquarters in Berlin. The organization’s funding sources are unclear — it has actually held fundraisers to pay for its reconnaissance aircraft, but this is obviously not the only means by which it pays its operating expenses.
Last month the Sea-Watch 3 was impounded by the Italian government after one of its uninvited appearances at an Italian port bearing a load of “refugees”. Then, on June 1, it was released from custody. And now it’s back again, testing the mettle of Italian authorities, and in particular that of Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, by defying the ban on migrant-ferry vessels and pushing on through to attempt a landing in Lampedusa.
The following video shows Mr. Salvini’s response to this latest incursion by the migrant ferry. Many thanks to FouseSquawk for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
Below are excerpts from two articles about the Sea-Watch 3. First, from Yahoo News:
Rescue Ship With 42 Migrants Defies Italy Order to Stay Out
MILAN (AP) — A private sea rescue ship carrying 42 migrants it took aboard off Libya two weeks ago entered Italian waters Wednesday despite an explicit ban from Italy’s interior minister, who has threatened to seize the ship operated by a German aid organization and to arrest its captain.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the captain of the Sea-Watch 3 broke the law both by disobeying direct orders not to cross into Italy’s territorial waters and by flouting measures that bar the migrant rescue ships of nonprofit groups from entering Italian jurisdiction.
“The right to defend our borders is sacred,” Salvini said.
And from ANSA:
Italy: Sea Watch Ignores Stop Order, Salvini Blasts ‘Hostile Act’
Migrant rescue ship in front of Lampedusa
(ANSA) – Palermo, June 26 – The Sea-Watch 3 migrant-rescue ship on Wednesday defied an order from a tax police motor launch to stop and pressed on until it came close to the port of Lampedusa.
Carabinieri police were lined up on the quay.
Captain Carola Rackete, who has said she will land the 42 migrants on board despite a docking ban, risks a 50,000 euro fine and the impounding of the vessel.
She could also be probed for favouring illegal immigration.
The migrants have been at sea since they were rescued two weeks ago as Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refused permission to dock in Italy. Salvini said Wednesday that the ship had committed a hostile act and he called on the Netherlands to take in the migrants on board. The search-and-rescue ship flies the Dutch flag, although it is run by a German NGO. “The Dutch government cannot pretend nothing has happened,” said League leader Salvini, who has spearheaded the government’s tough stance of refusing access to NGO-run search-and-rescue ships to Italy’s ports. “A ship flying the flag of the Netherlands has ignored the bans (on entry) and the orders to stop and it is heading to Lampedusa. “It’s a provocation and a hostile act. I had written to my Dutch counterpart and I’m happy that the Italian embassy in The Hague is taking a formal step with the government of the Netherlands. “Italy deserves respect. We expect the Netherlands to take in to immigrants on board”.
Video transcript:
| 00:02 | The Sea Watch, as far as I am concerned, will not enter Italy, not even by Christmas or New Year’s. | |
| 00:06 | I have already said, because 13 days have already passed, | |
| 00:10 | they might have left and returned to the Netherlands in these 13 days, | |
| 00:13 | if they really had the health of the “guests” (passengers) on board at heart. | |
| 00:19 | Evidently it is taking a political position. Today I read a curious interview in which | |
| 00:25 | they didn’t want to go to Tunisia, for whatever motive is not well understood. | |
| 00:28 | Malta told them no, and therefore they arrived in Italy. | |
| 00:32 | I repeat, it is a Dutch ship and a German NGO. | |
| 00:36 | The problem should be resolved among Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels. | |
| 00:40 | This afternoon we are awaiting the judgment of the European Court | |
| 00:44 | of Human Rights in Strasbourg. | |
| 00:47 | I await it with full respect. Whatever is the judgment, | |
| 00:52 | my attitude doesn’t change one comma. | |
| 00:55 | The queen of Sweden can come, | |
| 00:59 | but as far as I am concerned, this ship is an illegal ship, | |
| 01:02 | a pirate ship, an illegal ship. We have also had | |
| 01:06 | a breakdown with the Dutch embassy, which has a curious attitude, | |
| 01:11 | because they say, in effect, we are right, but it isn’t their problem. | |
| 01:15 | Understand that if they are flying the Dutch flag, it is their problem. | |
| 01:22 | But I repeat, this is a case in point event in Libyan waters, | |
| 01:28 | with authorized ports in other countries, a Dutch flag, and German NGO. | |
| 01:32 | It is actually Italy that is least involved of all. We have given demonstrations | |
| 01:36 | of absolute loyalty and humanity, | |
| 01:41 | allowing the unloading of the sick, newborns, and pregnant women. | |
| 01:47 | Enough. Enough. Therefore, whatever Strasbourg tells us, | |
| 01:51 | we, with extreme serenity, will continue forward with this course | |
| 01:56 | that saves lives, and I repeat, after 13 days, they could have gone | |
| 02:01 | anywhere. The fact that they are there | |
| 02:05 | is a clear political provocation, but a state cannot be dictated to on the choice of immigration | |
| 02:09 | by an NGO that doesn’t respect the rules. |
Hat tips for the articles: Reader from Chicago and Insubria.
Finally they disembarked. I really think that the business model of the german/dutch (N)GO is not the humans traffick, but the fund raise by donation through media campaign. If they only wanted to transport some 40 people illegally they could do that with much less efforts and in shorter time. What this (N)GO really wanted was media coverage, that is why they continued to provoke by their declarations on twitter. The press made the rest by portraying the filthy rich and bored social justice warrior captain (she has always neen involved in green activities and only lastly she passed from saving whales in the north sea, to “saving” people in the mediterrean sea) as a hero who will have a political career now. They received a lot of donations with a single trip.
This the video of the arrest in lampedusa island:
https://youtu.be/MQYeffqXiMg
Some people is applauding the police, while someone shout “vogliamo vedere le manettte”
(We want to see the handcuffs (on her)), and others “vattene!” (go away).
In any case I don t think she will end in prison, because she is protected by germany and international humanitarian organizations (ECHR, UNCHR, and many others).
Do to it what was done by Australian authorities to boats used to run illegal immigrants.
Run it ashore and destroy it.
That idiot “Capitan” should end up in prison for importing illegal aliens , from hellhole countries, I think that Germans are so ignorance and arrogant it’s no words how can destroy Europe for a third time , this time is not fixable this barbaric invasion has to stop, Berlin have headquarters of Soros organizations “open society “ this insanity is financially supported by this evils , and German government when all this parties CDU, SPD, Greens, CSU , Linke, are all traitors to the own country..
Bundesaußenminister Heiko Maas (SPD) erklärte auf Twitter: „Seenotrettung darf nicht kriminalisiert werden. Es ist an der italienischen Justiz, die Vorwürfe schnell zu klären.“ Menschenleben zu retten, sei eine humanitäre Verpflichtung.
https://amp.tagesspiegel.de/politik/sea-watch-3-odyssee-endet-mit-festnahme-migranten-duerfen-boot-verlassen-kapitaenin-droht-haft/24507650.html
This is just german government speaker who defends the rights of its citizens and organizations to commit pirate activities in the sea. Humanitarianism über alles.
In any case, just because all this seawatch3 story was a scam, it is good to know that italian magistrates freed the boat on the 1st of June. The ship was impounded before for same activity. As soon as the ship was freed, they took the sea for an other fund raising mission.
https://twitter.com/seawatch_intl/status/1134800097626079232?s=20
Now, the same judges who freed the ship will have to impound it another time. And then after sometime will be passed, they will free it again.
So Salvini caved yet again!
There is no point talking tough and then rolling over like a puppy dog while shifting responsibility to someone else ( in this case the Dutch).
Voters strongly dislike big talk followed by actions more in line with the political scum elsewhere in Europe.
You are so right.
If Salvini would have had guts, he would have put a naval crew on board plus as many asylum seekers as could be put on this boat and then send this boat, escorted by a Navy frigate / Destroyer with hot weapons back to the point closest to a libyan Harbour. Then they should have put the engines on full thrust, demolished the controls and left the ship so that it runs aground on libyan soil.
Then “Captain” Rackete could enjoy some multicultural hospitality before (if) she returns to Europe – without ship.
If this would be done with every Refugees saving ship that business would stop in five minutes.
But even the “good” politicians are all hot air and doing nothing.
Minister Gerd Müller (CSU) demands release of the SeaWatch3 captain:
https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/ausland/eu/id_86016608/sea-watch-3-minister-mueller-fordert-freilassung-von-kapitaenin-rackete.html
https://www.bmz.de/en/ministry/leadership/mueller/index.html
They call it (N)GO, but political power has been quite active in defending their organizations.
Don’t worry, nobody wants to pay her stay in an italian prison. Feel free to enjoy her company at next oktoberfest in bavaria.
(Anybody who thought voting for CSU could achieve anything good for Germany, should have carefully reconsidered all what has happend in that party since it is part of the same coalition with Merkel).