A city councillor from the coastal town of Senigallia has set sail with a migrant-rescue ship run by the NGO 'ResQ - People Saving People' to raise awareness on deadly migrant crossings in the Mediterranean Sea. Enrico Pergolesi is joining the mission for the second time in two years.
Enrico Pergolesi, city councillor of Senigallia in the province of Ancona, boarded a ship run by NGO "ResQ - People Saving People" on Wednesday, April 5 -- for the second time in two years.
He said his intention is to raise awareness about the perilous sea crossings undertaken by migrants to reach Italy, while also lending a hand to the crew on board.
The local politician from the local left-wing list Diritti al Futuro party said he is planning to spend five weeks at sea, where he wants to help prevent new occurring migrant deaths at sea, he told ANSA.
A signal of opposition
"This time the motivation is strongly political," Pergolesi said, referring to what had happened in Cutro on the Calabrian coast on February 26, when a migrant boat shipwreck resulted in at least 93 deaths.
"I told myself that the best opposition to this inhuman government that talks about human beings as 'residual cargo' while leaving more than 90 people to die" is to take part in the mission.
In the wake of the Cutro shipwreck, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi was criticized by members of the opposition for saying that desperation did not justify migrants committing perilous crossings like the one that caused scores of deaths off Calabria. During that speech, he referred to migrants as "residual cargo".
Investigators have since opened a probe into the shipwreck amid claims that rescue operations on part of Italian authorities were negligently delayed.
Under legislation introduced by Giorgia Meloni's government at the beginning of the year, NGOs running migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea can only carry out one rescue at a time, and have to travel to an assigned port of disembarkation immediately thereafter. However, charities and members of the opposition say that this measure will put more lives at risk.
Saving lives at sea
During his first mission at sea in October 2021, Pergolesi helped on board by preparing warm meals for dozens of migrants who were rescued by the NGO.
This time, he said he will also write an online diary to update anyone who wants to follow the rescue operations, highlighting the difficulties crew members face.
He pledged to do his best during the upcoming migrant-rescue mission, saying "I hope it will be enough."