Italy has ordered the seizure of the migrant and refugee rescue ship Aquarius for alleged illegal waste treatment, Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, said on Tuesday.
The vessel, chartered by the MSF and the SOS Mediterranee charity, is currently docked in the French port of Marseille. It is suspected of passing off 24 tonnes of potentially toxic waste as ordinary waste, Italian media reported.
In June, Italy’s new Interior Minister Matteo Salvini blocked the Aquarius carrying 629 refugees and migrants from docking at its ports.
The move caused a public outcry with thousands in France hitting the streets to express their anger at the efforts to stop the last migrant rescue ship operating off Libya’s coast.
The Aquarius, which has rescued 30,000 people in the last two years, has been stuck at the Marseille port after Panama withdrew its registration in September.
