A two-month administrative detention was issued on Monday (August 26) for the ship Geo Barents of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), as noted by the NGO itself, which described it as an "inhumane decision" that blocks rescue activities of migrants in the Mediterranean.

"This evening, Italian authorities informed MSF that our rescue ship, Geo Barents, received an administrative detention order for 60 days. This is the third time that our ship has suffered this punitive measure for having abided the legal obligation of saving human lives at sea," writes MSF on X.

The Geo Barents had docked at the port of Salerno, in the south of Italy, after having saved 191 migrants at sea in five separate rescue operations on August 23: an action prohibited by the measures of the Italian government in 2023, which imposes a single rescue operation at a time for each ship. But the charge in this case is mainly for having allegedly "violated maritime safety measures."

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191 migrants rescued, including 23 unaccompanied minors

A shelter system was set up at the Manfredi dock in coordination with the Prefecture of Salerno. Among the 191 migrants on board were three women and 23 unaccompanied minors.

"We were already alerted about 12 urgent medical cases," said Francesco Esposito, the Prefect of Salerno. About 20 cases of scabies were reported, along with burns and a person with mobility issues who was transported by wheelchair. The migrants' allocation was prearranged: most will remain in Campania, while 66 will be transferred to the Lazio province.

Also read: MSF rescue boat Geo Barents rescues 80 migrants, as two die near North African coast

MSF: 'False accusations based on info by Libyan Coast Guard'

The ship is now detained for two months, with MSF accused of failing to provide timely information during the third of its five rescue operations, after a large number of people ended up in the water near the vessel. MSF called these "false accusations based on information from the Libyan Coast Guard" and plans to appeal the "illegitimate detention."

The detention was issued following multiple rescues on August 23 in the Central Mediterranean, where the Geo Barents allegedly did not promptly inform the Italian Coordination Center for Maritime Rescue, endangering lives.

"The Libyan Coast Guard, financed by the EU, and considered an unreliable partner by Italy was accused by the United Nations of complicity in serious violations of human rights in Libya. We are talking about crimes against humanity, colluding with human traffickers, not to mention being responsible for rejections at sea. We were sanctioned for simply having abided by our legal duty to save human lives," said Matias Gil, the head of MSF's search and rescue operations mission.

Also read: NGO Mediterranea files report against Libyan coast guard

For 23rd time a rescue ship under detention by 'Piantedosi Decree'

The result, adds MSF, "is that Geo Barents was blocked for the third time, for a period that is longer compared to previous administrative detention orders. It is the 23rd time that a ship dedicated to humanitarian rescue is stopped by the 'Piantedosi Decree', which was conceived to impede life-saving activities of NGOs at sea."

MSF thereby calls on Italian authorities "to revoke the administrative detention of Geo Barents to allow it to abide by its duty to save human lives, and to immediately stop all obstruction to humanitarian assistance at sea."

Also read: Faraway Italian port assignments wasted sea-rescue NGO ships 'more than a year' in 2023