"The price is death and very severe human rights violations," said Juan Matias Gil, who leads MSF International’s Mediterranean search and rescue operations. #SavingLivesIsNotACrime 👇👇👇

"The Italian authorities can not make us decide either to safe lives or to protect our vessel. We will now legally fight to come back at sea as soon as possible." Riccardo, our SAR Team Leader, explains in the video the situation of Geo Barents. 📽️⤵️

The #GeoBarents was detained in Italy this week. The MSF Sea ship received a detention order for 60 days after carrying out 5 rescue operations. A controversial policy by Italy's government de-facto bans consecutive rescue operations in the Central Med. infomigrants.net/en/post/59478/…

🛟MSF Team on board Geo Barents has it clear: #SavingLivesIsNotACrime

⚠️The Geo Barents has been issued a detention for 60 days simply for fulfilling its duty to save lives. As the MSF International SAR representative says, "We will challenge this unfair detention through the appropriate legal channels."

“We saw people jumping off a fibreglass boat, falling or being pushed into the water. Our teams had no choice than to go, stabilise people and retrieve them out of water as quickly as possible”. Now #GeoBarents face a detention of 60 days 👉 searchandrescue.msf.org/news/msf-rescu…

The intention of the "Piantedosi Decree" and distant port practice is clear: reduce arrivals to Europe, emptying the Search and Rescue region from NGO ships, and leave people to drown. 👇

❗MSF is being sanctioned with a 60-days detention of the boat Geo Barents for merely fulfilling our humanitarian and legal duty to save lives at sea.

.Sally Hayden was on board Geo Barents few weeks ago and could speak with many rescued people, who told her the harsh conditions they face during the journey, specially in Libya. "If you don’t go, he’ll kill you" Read their experience at @irishtimes ⤵️ irishtimes.com/life-style/peo…

We are deeply saddened to hear that at least 12 people lost their lives crossing the Channel today. The lack of safe routes to the UK forces people to make dangerous journeys, which costs lives. The Gov't needs to take immediate action & open pathways for people seeking safety.

From April to June, Seabird—our civil eye over the Mediterranean—documented how Frontex, European Member States, and Libyan militias contributed to the fate of people fleeing across the Mediterranean in pursuit of freedom ⬇️

⚫ Another tragic shipwreck in the #Mediterranean while #Italy detains two rescue ships! 21 people are reported missing including children! 7 survived to tell what they endured.