The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Italian government to withdraw bill "Conversion into law of Decree-Law no. 1 of 2 January 2023, laying down urgent provisions for the management of migratory flows", approved yesterday by the House and which should be examined the next week from the Senate, as the proposed legislation could hinder the provision of assistance by humanitarian organisations providing research and rescue in the central Mediterranean, with a consequent increase in loss of life at sea.

"If this law will be approved - he highlighted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk - Many people in difficulty will be subjected to suffering and many lives would be at risk of being lost because it is not More available timely help. The law - it has detected Türk - would actually punish both migrants and those who They try to help them. Probably this penalization of humanitarian interventions would discourage humanitarian organisations and for human rights from doing their crucial work."

Türk recalled that the bill provides, between the other, that humanitarian aid vessels should direct immediately to a port after each rescue, thus renouncing further assistance even if there are people in distress in the immediate vicinity, and has Recalling that Italy has recently designated as ports of disembarkation of port ports that are distant, sometimes several days of navigation, from the maritime areas where the people, making it more difficult to carry out a more rescue missions.

"According to international law - observed Türk - a commander has the duty to render immediate assistance to the people in distress at sea and States must safeguard the right to life. But under this new proposal, a SAR ship nearby would be forced to ignore calls from rescue of those who are at sea simply because He has already saved others." In addition - he added - "Those stranded at sea would be forced to withstand prolonged exposure to the elements and would risk to lose their lives and those who survive would face greater delays in access to adequate medical care and rehabilitation, including those who are victims of torture, sexual violence and other human rights violations".

Finally, specifying that, according to the proposed law, the crews on board rescue vessels should register every person wishing to apply for protection and that non-governmental organizations which do not comply with the new rules would be subject to penalties administrative, fines and seizure of their vessel, The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged the Italian government to withdraw the bill from the to ensure that any legislative proposal is fully in accordance with international human rights law, International on Refugees and other legal frameworks applicable, including the United Nations Convention on Law of the sea and the International Convention on Research and maritime rescue.