TOPLINE
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to X to scrutinize a German humanitarian group conducting a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea, suggesting such operations and their transport of rescued immigrants to Italy are a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
KEY FACTS
The video was posted by a user claiming to show German NGO ships in the Mediterranean Sea collecting illegal immigrants before they are unloaded in Italy— and also pledging support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, a surging political party that runs on an anti-immigrant platform.
Musk reposted the video, asking if the German public was aware of such rescue operations—which prompted a reply from the German government’s official X account, which said, “Yes. And it’s called saving lives.”
Musk said he doubted the majority of the German public supported the operations, claiming they are “surely” violations of Italy’s sovereignty and saying they had “invasion vibes.”
The German government confirmed this week it was backing three NGOs that operate in the Mediterranean Sea and bring migrants to Italy, according to Reuters, which reported the funding has been met with pushback from Italy’s government.
Far-right Italian Prime Minister Meloni said in a letter sent to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this month that she “learned with astonishment” that Germany, “without coordinating with the Italian government,” allegedly decided to bankroll NGOs engaged in the “reception” of migrants in Italian territory, Reuters reported.
Meloni suggested in the letter that Germany, which is struggling to provide space for asylum seekers, should instead focus on helping migrants on its own soil, arguing the work of the NGOs incentivizes people to attempt dangerous trips for asylum in other countries.
CONTRA
The German foreign ministry has denied the idea that the NGOs provoke migrants to make the deadly maritime trips to Europe and said rescuing those at sea is a “legal, humanitarian and moral duty.”
BIG NUMBER
More than 220,000. That’s the number of people who applied for asylum in Germany between January and August this year, according to The Guardian. Additionally, more than 127,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea so far this year, almost double the amount of the same period last year, the Associated Press reported.
KEY BACKGROUND
Musk, who has amplified conspiracy theories and right-wing ideology on X, has recently become more publicly invested on the topic of immigration. The tech billionaire visited the United States’ border with Mexico on Thursday and livestreamed his experience on X. Musk said he traveled to the border to meet with local officials and law enforcement so he could gain an “unfiltered” perspective on migration and “see exactly what’s going on.” Musk, who was born in South Africa and is an immigrant to the U.S. himself, considered himself “extremely pro-immigrant,” saying the country’s immigration system should “greatly expand” so as to accept “hardworking and honest” people who will be contributors. He also said a “collapse in social services” would materialize if the U.S. didn’t curb illegal immigration.
FURTHER READING
Elon Musk, Citizen Journalist: Here’s Why The Tesla Billionaire Visited The Texas-Mexico Border (Forbes)