Italian authorities have ordered the seizure of the migrant rescue ship “Aquarius” in the French port of Marseille, alleging it has illegally disposed of infectious waste in 11 ports in the southern Italy.

Médecins Sans Frontières, the French NGO which operates the ship, called the move to seize assets and freeze bank accounts an “unfounded and disproportionate” measure aimed at further criminalising rescue efforts that have saved 80,000 people at sea over the last three years. More than 2000 migrants have perished this year alone trying to cross the Mediterranean.

"After two years of defamatory and unfounded allegations of collusion with human traffickers, judicial investigations, and bureaucratic obstacles, we are now accused of organised crime aimed at illicit waste trafficking. This latest attempt by Italian authorities to stop humanitarian, lifesaving search and rescue capacity at any cost is sinister," said Karline Kleijer, MSF’s head of emergencies.

Prosecutors coordinating the police investigation allege that two MSF-operated ships, the Vos Prudence and the Aquarius, illegally disposed of 24 tonnes (24,000 kg) of refuse - discarded clothing, food leftovers and medical waste - on 44 occasions in the Italian ports between January 2017 and July 2018.

According to a statement released by the prosecutor's office, 24 individuals are accused of “systematically sharing, planning and carrying out a criminal project of illegal disposal of a large quantity of hazardous waste at infectious risk, deriving from relief activities."