Migrant Rescues in Italy and Increased Criminalization of Human Smuggling

Reuters reported this weekend that the Italian coastguard rescued more than 3,000 migrants from rough seas off the Southern Italian coast in March. Tragically, earlier this month more than seventy migrants died in shipwreck when their boat hit a large rock in stormy conditions.

Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Cabinet has reacted to the incidents with criminalization measures, including raising the penalty for human smuggling to up to a 30 year prison sentence.

IE