As the trial of six Italian officers in a 2023 shipwreck is set to begin Friday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday called the proceedings a crucial opportunity for asylum seekers and migrants killed at sea to receive justice.
The officers, including two Italian Coast Guard and four Customs Police officers (Guardia di Finanza), are charged with negligence and several counts of manslaughter over their role in the wreck. HRW stated that the trial will serve as an important examination of Italy’s policies over irregular migration. The group has claimed the policies “prioritize deterring and criminalizing asylum seekers and migrants over saving lives.”
The 2023 shipwreck off the coast of Italy, known as the “Cutro shipwreck,” killed at least 94 people, 35 of whom were children. Despite Italian and European authorities detecting the ship hours before the wreck, no formal calls for rescue operations were initiated.
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, or Frontex, aircraft initially spotted the vessel and informed Italian authorities of several irregularities, including evidence of a large number of passengers below deck and the absence of life jackets–both of which may be indicators of migrant passengers. Additionally, reports noted severe weather along the Italian coast. In response, Italian authorities dispatched two patrol boats towards the ship, which soon after returned to shore without locating the vessel, reporting dangerous weather.
Various rights groups have accused Italian authorities of neglecting to initiate a search and rescue operation despite being aware of possible migrant passengers and dangerous weather conditions. As a result, six search and rescue organizations—EMERGENCY, Louise Michel, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Sea-Watch, SOS Humanity, and SOS MEDITERRANEE—have formally joined 65 survivors of the wreck as civil parties to the case.
The case reflects the persistent dangers of Mediterranean migration. Since 2014, nearly 34,000 migrants have reportedly gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Similar shipwrecks have led to legal proceedings against alleged smugglers and European authorities alike, including a notable case that stemmed from a deadly shipwreck off the coast of Greece in 2023.
The highly trafficked corridor has been subject to ongoing policy debates in Europe over the clash between prioritizing border enforcement and facilitating safe migration. Italy has been at the forefront of the debates, having been accused of routinely tightening immigration laws in a way that poses a danger to migrants.
HRW noted Italy’s obligations to act on situations of distress at sea pursuant to the International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue.
