Italy has stopped two planes used by NGOs to search for migrant boats navigating from African coast to Europe in the Mediterranean.
The planes – Moonbird and Colibri – have been used by the German NGO Sea-Watch and the French NGO Pilotes Volontaires respectively and have been undertaking reconnaissance missions over the Mediterranean since 2017.
Lately neither aircraft could take off because the Italian civil aviation authority said they could “only be used for recreational and non-professional activities”.