Question for written answer E-001797/2021 to the Commission Rule 138 Aurélia Beigneux (ID), Nicolas Bay (ID), Jean-Paul Garraud (ID), Catherine Griset (ID), Jean-Lin Lacapelle (ID), Mathilde Androuët (ID), Philippe Olivier (ID), Julie Lechanteux (ID), Virginie Joron (ID), France Jamet (ID), Gianantonio Da Re (ID), Lucia Vuolo (ID), Tom Vandendriessche (ID), Maximilian Krah (ID), Markus Buchheit (ID), Joachim Kuhs (ID), Gilbert Collard (ID), Teuvo Hakkarainen (ID), Filip De Man (ID), Gunnar Beck (ID), Rob Rooken (ECR), Jorge Buxadé Villalba (ECR), Hermann Tertsch (ECR), Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (ECR), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR), Nicola Procaccini (ECR), Charlie Weimers (ECR), Elżbieta Kruk (ECR) Subject: NGOs accused of colluding with human traffickers in the Mediterranean The Italian courts have just revealed the findings of an investigation carried out since 2017. It accuses three non-governmental organisations (NGO): Save the Children, Médecins sans frontières and Jugend Rettet of working in collusion with people-smuggling gangs in the Mediterranean1. Italy is charging these NGOs with collaborating with Libyan human traffickers and for abetting illegal immigration to Italy. Twenty-one members of these NGOs, all from the European Union or the United Kingdom, have been put on trial. Each of them risks up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Some of these NGOs, such as Médecins sans frontières, were opposed to the EU-Turkey agreement, introduced to limit the number of refugees admitted to Europe2. These NGOs are thus reportedly willing to break the law, endangering the lives of refugees and the sovereignty of Member States, with the sole purpose of promoting their pro-immigration agenda. 1. Was the Commission aware of these illegal operations, carried out by NGOs in the Mediterranean? 2. How does it intend to address the actions of these NGOs, which are alleged to have abetted criminal activities that directly compromise the integrity of Member States? 3. Does it intend to suspend all funding for NGOs guilty of breaking Member States’ national laws? Supporters3 1 www.letemps.ch/monde/trois-ong-sauvetage-mer-accusees-complicite-passeurs-criminels 2 www.voanews.com/europe/doctors-without-borders-rejects-eu-funds-over-migrant-deal 3 This question is supported by Members other than the authors: Jordan Bardella (ID), Thierry Mariani (ID), Annika Bruna (ID), Nicolaus Fest (ID) PE691.789v01-00.