Italian coastguard detains two NGO migrant ships

ROME, Italy: The Italian coastguard announced on Friday that it had detained two German NGO vessels rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean, saying the crews failed to comply with relevant legislation.In an attempt to curb arrivals, Rome passed a new law in January restricting the activities of Non-Governmental Organisations involved in rescuing immigrants at sea, even though the number of people rescued by them only accounts for around 10 percent of the total. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni´s far-right government requires NGO ships to inform the Italian authorities as soon as a boat is rescued. The authorities then decide on the port where the survivors and rescuers should dock. Quite often this is a port a long way from where the rescue operation is taking place.