The government is punishing us because we insist on rescuing people in danger at sea. People who are abandoned to their fate by the authorities, who are always informed of the position of the boats through accurate reports.

They are punishing us because the systematic and continuous failure to rescue is a fundamental part of the strategy of refoulement of refugees and asylum seekers searching protection in Italy and Europe.

This criminal political will has led to thousands of deaths, and we need only think of the findings of the magistrates' inquiry into the Cutro shipwreck to understand how dangerous such behaviour is.

If a ship is at sea and can save a life, it has a duty to intervene.

You let people die, we try to save lives.

We will not stop doing that, whatever it takes.