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Conditions on board the Ocean Viking rescue ship, which is operated by French charity SOS Mediterranée, last July (Photo: Flavio Gasperini SOS Mediterranee)

Migrant-rescue ships win greater EU freedoms

Ports in Italy cannot impound NGO migrant-rescue ships on grounds they take on board too many people to be safe, the EU court has ruled.

The law of the sea contains "a fundamental duty to render assistance to persons in danger or distress at sea", the Court of Justice in Luxembourg said on Monday (1 August).

And so the number of rescued people on board "must not be taken into account whe...

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

Conditions on board the Ocean Viking rescue ship, which is operated by French charity SOS Mediterranée, last July (Photo: Flavio Gasperini SOS Mediterranee)

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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