German-Funded Boat Joins ‘Migrant Taxi’ Crusade
4th May 2024
An Italian-flagged vessel funded by a German NGO has joined the fleet of so-called ‘rescue boats’ that operate on the Mediterranean Sea, and stands accused by the Italian government of colluding with people smugglers to bring as many migrants as possible to Italy.
Maldusa, an Italian pro-migration cultural association, supported by German NGOs ProAsyl and United4Rescue, has announced that its speedboat, which is smaller than regular coast guard patrol boats, has set sail on the Mediterranean. Its aim, they declared, is not to rescue, but to “monitor the waters around Lampedusa, to prevent shipwrecks and other forms of border violence, and facilitate the freedom of movement of all those trying to reach Europe.”