The Italian government has approved stricter prison sentences for human traffickers, just days after at least 72 migrants died when their wooden boat sank amidst rough waves. In a symbolic move, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a cabinet meeting at the coastal resort of Steccato di Cutro, near the site of the shipwreck, to ratify new measures aimed at combating this lucrative human trafficking.
The decree establishes a new crime of causing death or serious bodily harm as a result of human trafficking, with a penalty of up to 30 years in prison for those convicted. Meloni told reporters, "We are determined to stop human trafficking responsible for this tragedy," adding that Italy will take action against traffickers apprehended aboard boats as well as those in third countries organizing voyages that often end in shipwrecks and fatalities.
Meloni's right-wing government, which has taken a tough stance against illegal immigration, has faced criticism for the disaster on February 26, as critics said more effort should have been made to rescue migrants after the boat was spotted hours before it sank. So far, police have recovered 72 bodies, including 28 minors, following the disaster. 79 people survived, while about 30 are missing. Most of the migrants were Afghans, but there were also Iranians, Pakistanis, and Syrians on board.
