Spanish government stops ‘Open Arms’ from returning to its operations in the Mediterranean

Spain is preventing an NGO rescue boat from continuing its operations in the Mediterranean by stopping it from leaving a port in Barcelona.

The Directorate General of the Merchant Marine, which operates under the Ministry of Development, said the Proactiva Open Arms ship cannot continue to operate after Italy and Malta closed their ports, meaning the vessel cannot dock at the port closest to where migrants are rescued, which is required by international maritime regulations.

The NGO wrote in a Tweet that the Spanish government had denied them the right to leave the Barcelona port because it said: “If states fail to fulfil their rescue obligations at sea, we are not allowed to protect lives either.”

via Euronews