Image Credit: ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI / Contributor / Getty 
The NGO ship Mediterranea was seized in the Italian port of Trapani after its operators ignored direct instructions from Italy’s interior ministry and docked migrants at an unauthorized port.
The move, which violated the government decree of 2023 that regulates NGO activity in the Mediterranean, carries a fine of up to €10,000 and leaves the vessel detained until the prefect decides its fate in the coming days.
The interior ministry had designated Genoa as the port of safety for the 10 migrants picked up in the Sicilian Channel. Instead, the NGO diverted to Trapani and disembarked the group without authorization.
Authorities point out that the assignment of ports is coordinated nationally to ensure fairness across regions, relieving pressure from Sicily and the southern coast, where the majority of arrivals occur.
The government claims that unauthorized actions undermine both security and the state’s ability to manage migration in an orderly way. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi stressed that “it is the state that fights human traffickers and manages and coordinates rescue operations at sea, not NGOs.”
The seizure of the Mediterranea was carried out jointly by the police, the Guardia di Finanza, and the Coast Guard. Officials noted that the NGO had admitted it knowingly acted outside the rules. By defying lawful orders, the group exposed itself to sanctions and put itself in direct conflict with Italian law.
Left-wing parties and activists criticized the decision to sanction the vessel, with the Mediterranea calling it an “obscene measure.” The NGO’s president, Laura Marmorale, claimed the Italian government was “taking revenge and attacking us because we saved 10 children from certain death.”
Government sources, however, noted that the actions of the NGO encourage irregular crossings and fuel the human trafficking networks that profit from sending migrants across the Mediterranean in unsafe boats.
The interior ministry reiterated that all rescued individuals received medical assistance and proper care, in line with Italy’s legal and humanitarian obligations.
