In the heart of the Mediterranean, a burning issue is dividing Italy: the delicate question of the disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea. Under the government of Giorgia Meloni, a radical migration policy is shaking up the humanitarian and political landscape. The “Piantedosi decree”, adopted in January 2023, requires NGO ships to transport survivors to ports in northern Italy, sparking controversy and tension.
Officially presented as a measure to regulate rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, this decree has had a profound impact on the ground. The ports assigned in the north of the country are thousands of kilometers from the rescue zones, significantly lengthening the journeys of humanitarian ships. This is a major logistical and financial constraint for NGOs such as SOS Méditerranée, which see their mission hampered by increased delays and costs.
The consequences of this policy are not limited to the humanitarian sphere. Indeed, the strategic choice of ports of disembarkation seems to be influenced by political, even partisan, considerations. The concentration of migrant arrivals in cities run by left-wing elected officials raises questions about possible exploitation for political purposes.
In the port of Ravenna, for example, migrant disembarkations have taken on a completely different scale since the introduction of this new migration policy. For Michele De Pascale, the city’s mayor, this upheaval is not only logistical but also human. He denounces the chaotic management of the migration phenomenon and points to a form of targeting of municipalities run by the opposition.
Beyond the figures and political debates, it is a poignant human reality that is revealed through these forced disembarkations. Men, women and children in search of a better future, tossed around by political decisions and logistical imperatives.
In this delicate context, the migration issue in Italy reveals the deep tensions that run through society and politics. Between humanitarian imperatives, geographical constraints and political games, the future of migrants in the Mediterranean remains uncertain, under the watchful eye of public opinion and the actors engaged in this fight for dignity and fundamental rights.