Italy blocks Proactiva Open Arms refugee rescue ship

The refugee rescue ship of Proactiva Open Arms, a Catalan NGO, has been blocked in Italy following accusations of “fostering illegal immigration” and “criminal association” for allegedly ignoring orders from Libyan coastguards, according to founder Oscar Camps. A prosecutor in Catania, Sicily, ordered the arrest of the boat on Sunday.

“It almost seems as if solidarity was a crime,” said Camps at a press conference on Monday. According to him, Proactiva Open Arms and other NGOs are being “harassed” by Italian and Libyan authorities in order to prevent them from rescuing refugees crossing the Mediterranean.