A spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) expressed concern Tuesday about Italy’s new law imposing fines and penalties for search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

This law was first introduced as a security decree in June and was approved by the Italian parliament on Monday. The law imposes a maximum of €1 million fines for private vessels conducting search and rescue operations for migrants at sea, and such vessels will also be automatically impounded by the government.

In the press release, the UNHCR also addressed concerns about the impact that this law will have in the area, considering how European States have largely ceased rescue efforts.

NGOs and private individuals play an invaluable role in saving the lives of refugees and migrants attempting the dangerous sea crossing to Europe. The commitment and humanity that motivates their activities should not be criminalised or stigmatised.

The UNHCR called for further progress from recent discussions in Paris to “establish a temporary, predictable arrangement for disembarking people after they have been rescued at sea,” which is vital considering how NGOs and private individuals are currently requested to transfer rescued migrants to the Libyan Coast Guard. The situation in Libya was described as “volatile, an ongoing conflict, and widespread human rights violations.” The UNHCR is pushing to ensure that rescued migrants are not transferred to a place where they are not safe.