New row brewing between Italy and Malta over migrant arrivals

ROME: Italy and Malta appeared to be heading for another spat over migrant arrivals after the Italian interior minister said he would not allow a ship carrying over 400 people to dock.

Matteo Salvini, also deputy prime minister and leader of the nationalist League party, continued the hardline approach to migrants crossing the Mediterranean that has already seen him clash with Malta and other EU nations over a fishing vessel currently taking 450 people towards the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Meanwhile, Valetta said the ship was closer to Italy and those on board wanted to head for its shores.

Last month Malta was forced to take the German NGO boat Lifeline carrying over 234 migrants, just days after a standoff between the island nation and Italy led to the French rescue ship Aquarius being diverted and taking 630 people to Spain.

“As promised, I will not give up. Malta, the smugglers and the dogooders should know this boat will not land here,” Salvini said on Facebook.

According to a statement from Italy’s foreign ministry the boat, carrying “minors in urgent need of assistance”, alerted authorities in Rome in the early hours of Friday while travelling in waters which fall under the jurisdiction of Malta.

The ministry claims that Malta took charge of the operation and asked Italy for “naval help” while not sending any of its own vessels “capable of providing assistance” to the area.

On Tuesday, Italy’s transport and infrastructure minister Danilo Toninelli said on Twitter that maritime laws dictate that Malta should send “its own rescue ships and open its own ports”.

He added that the Italian coastguard would be available to offer support to the island, but that “Malta needs to do its duty”.