Key points
- Rules imposed by Italy require rescue vessels to complete only one mission at a time
- Despite a drop in irregular sea crossings, over 3,800 migrants died or went missing last year
ISLAMABAD: Humanitarian groups involved in sea rescues are raising serious concerns over the European Union, and particularly Italy’s, migration deterrence policies, warning that they are placing vulnerable lives at risk.
A Reuters investigation reveals that rescue organisations believe some asylum seekers have been unlawfully pushed back from Europe’s borders—a practice condemned by both the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the European Court of Human Rights as a violation of international law.
These organisations are also criticising Italy’s current government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for imposing operational limits on non-governmental rescue efforts.
Hampering response
New regulations force rescue ships to carry out only one mission at a time and deliver those rescued to remote ports, reducing the time they can spend at sea and hampering their ability to respond to multiple emergencies.
Meanwhile, smuggling networks in Libya and Tunisia are adapting by sending migrants in overcrowded, less detectable small boats, further heightening the dangers. According to Alarm Phone and EU border agency Frontex, this shift increases the risk of capsizing in unpredictable sea conditions.
International Organisation for Migration
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reports that at least 3,812 people either drowned or went missing in 2024, nearly half of them along the central Mediterranean route—the most deadly of all migrant sea crossings globally.
This route, connecting North Africa to Italy and Malta, also remains one of the most heavily trafficked entry points into Europe.
Frontex data shows that it accounted for over 25pc of the more than 240,000 unauthorised arrivals detected in 2024.
However, EU officials, including Italy’s leadership and the European Commission, have celebrated a significant decline in irregular sea arrivals—down by more than one-third last year—as a success of their stricter policies. In March, Meloni addressed parliament, stating, “The only way to reduce deaths at sea is to curb departures and dismantle the smuggling networks.”
Still, humanitarian advocates argue that these deterrent measures come at a tragic human cost.
