NGO and migrants, the witness: What rescues? I'll unveil the traffickers
Interview with the security officer from 'Save The Children' ship: "A system of contracts worth millions that is also based on omertà (code of honor) agreement"Quotidiano
By Giorgio Caccamo
11 August 2017
The testimony of a ship's security officer from 'Vos Hestia' of the well-known NGO 'Save the Children' who was interviewed by the daily national "QN" explaining the great bluff behind organizations that say they are rescuing so-called migrants trying to reach our shores.
How long were you on board? What was your position?
"I stayed just over a month, between September and October 2016. I was charged with the security on 'Vos Hestia'".
What did you see during the rescue at sea?
"Let's face the truth: few were in life's danger. Once we took a boat with people in good health 10 minutes from the Libyan coast and not far out at sea. This was the explicit wish from the 'Save the Children' in London while all other European offices were opposed to it".
Other inconsistencies?
"I remember we had a good British cultural liaison who spoke Arabic. At some point he left the ship and in his place came an Italian-Eritrean young man. Does it matter? Yes, it does. Two days later a boat full of Eritreans arrived and it was the STC (Save the Children ) team leader who gave the captain the exact position of the boat".
Are there comparisons with other NGOs?
"It seemed like a race and who comes first. For me it was a strange attitude. The 'Iuventa' (ship of the German NGO 'Jugend Rettet') is too small, so it was understood that they will play a supporting role. Once we were in the Libyan waters with other NGOs and no rubber boats were seen. Then one day calls the 'Iuventa' and says 'we have 400 people on board'. But in five days we didn't see anyone! And then if you load all those people, can you tell me where the boats are? It means that the traffickers have delivered them".
So there are relationships between some organizations and traffickers?
"They are obvious. Often is the trafficker who gives the position with a satellite phone and certainly not the migrants. When there is an inflatable boat with dozens of people on board it seems as though they have made an appointment..."
No NGOs can be excluded?
"Perhaps some people could be genuinely animated by a humanitarian spirit. But this talk of going to the Libyan coast is neither here nor there. Thousands of people aided only 20-25% perhaps were worthy of help".
And who were the others?
"We loaded young Maghrebs who were expelled from Italy. For them this was the only way to try to come back. But who am I to say who we going to bring to Italy? We did not bring desperate Syrians or those of Mali who run from hunger. Personally, it was a problem of consciousness for me".
Did you feel responsible for the situation that was bigger than you?
"I also felt a little complicit with a shameful activity which I could not tolerate. There were clashes with STC because I could not report anything to the port authorities or police. The sense of their politics seemed to be 'keep everything hidden'. We couldn't even warn the MSF (Doctors Without Borders) that a boy on board had a serious form of tuberculosis."
How did they treat outsiders?
"Yes, it was palpable, they did not want us on board but the ship's owner insisted. I don't know if I can use these words, but we Italians were a bit shitty for them... I know the ones who were still on board they tried to replace them with an English team".
Do you think ultimately everything is reduces to a business?
"I've been in the police for 30 years, I know what's going on - you always need to follow the money trail. I would like to know how much money did the Ministry of Interior give to STC? Why is this not addressed? On board I was told that the transactions were running at half a million per month, 6 million EURO a year, only for Save the Children. And this money comes from institutions. STC also receives many donations, I imagine millions of dollars at no cost. Regarding this I have a personal idea..."
Which is?
"The NGOs don't give a hoot about migrants. It's only a business of the moment. I will not hide that there is also some fear of speaking out".
What are you afraid of?
"We were threatened. Me and my other colleagues have worked really hard in a stressful and demanding situation. Then we said 'enough', one could not go on. You see too much dirt".
What exactly?
"I remember a support operation for 'Iuventa'. There were 140 migrants. Shortly before our arrival a boat with two Libyans sped off with another boat in tow. I wasn't the only one that saw it. The entire ship, the captain, the STC operators. But nobody says anything, this really pisses me off".
Why don't they say anything?
"Well, because if the captain would say anything, those who sign the contract with Save the Children would lose money. Last year the Dutch ship's owner 'Vroon' with headquarters in Genoa, Italy stayed for four months in Alexandria, Egypt. They told me that they don't have work! And then a contract rains from the sky for 500 thousand Euro per month... They can't risk losing it".
Is there a political other than economic aspect?
Do you know what really displeased the Save the Children? The fact that the ship is Italian. They would prefer to have an English crew but instead were forced to take an Italian doctor and us as a security which de facto made us 'security advisors'".
How do you feel about your experience?
"It's a gamble. But still I will reveal what I've seen, even if I don't work on a ship anymore. Our lives have been put at risk. It's a shameful situation".
(Originally published in Italian)
Source:
* Quotidiano 11.08.2017 - "NGO and migrants, the witness: What rescues? I'll unveil the traffickers" / "Ong e migranti, il testimone: Macché salvataggi, vi svelo i traffici": http://www.quotidiano.net/cronaca/ong-migranti-1.3327858
* Il Giornale 13.08.2017 - "Signals and lies: how NGOs protected traffickers" / "Segnali e bugie: così le Ong proteggevano i trafficanti": http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/segnali-e-bugie-cos-ong-proteggevano-i-trafficanti-1430502.html
