Italy, France in diplomatic spat over migrants
CATANIA, Sicily: Italy is challenging France to take in the migrants it promised under an EU agreement, and has accused France of turning back some 10 000 migrants at Italy’s northern border.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini blasted the French critique of its handling of the Aquarius migrant ship standoff during a speech to parliament yesterday.
Salvini demanded an apology after French President Emmanuel Macron accused Italy of cynical, irresponsible behaviour by refusing to let the Aquarius dock in an Italian port.
Salvini said France had committed to accepting 9 816 migrants under a 2015 EU redistribution scheme to relieve frontline countries of the pressure of asylum-seekers. The scheme has yet to get off the ground.
Salvini said in three years, France has accepted only 640 people. “So I ask President Macron to pass from words to action and welcome the 9 816 migrants France promised to welcome as a sign of concrete generosity and not just words.”
The co-founder of the SOS Mediterranee charity says three ships carrying 629 migrants are expected to arrive on Saturday night at the Spanish port of Valencia, depending on weather conditions.
Sophie Beau said yesterday in Marseille, France, “It’s a relief for everyone, our teams and above all for the survivors to know that they are finally allowed to head to a safe port in Europe.”
Beau said while the rescue ship the association operates, the Aquarius, is travelling the 1 500km to Spain, new victims “are dying under our eyes”.
She called on European countries to set up a fleet to save human lives in the Mediterranean Sea.
Spain offered to welcome migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship after Italy and Malta refused to take them in.
Italy sent two ships operated by the Italian navy and coast guard to take on some of the migrant passengers and escort the ship on the voyage.
Italy’s coast guard says its ship Diciotti has brought 932 migrants to shore in Catania, Sicily, as a diplomatic standoff continues over Italy’s refusal to let another rescue ship dock.
The Diciotti was also carrying the corpses of two people who died during their voyage, a woman and a teenage boy.
Thirteen of the passengers disembarking in Catania are pregnant and 208 are minors.
The passengers are from Eritrea, Sudan, Mali, Ivory Coast and Guinea.
During the voyage to Sicily, four pregnant women and a man suffering from fever were evacuated urgently and taken to hospitals.
The Aquarius migrant ship operated by SOS Mediterranee has been refused entry to Italian ports. It is now heading to Spain.
Italy has summoned the French ambassador for consultations after Macron criticised what he called Italy’s cynicism and irresponsibility in turning away a migrant rescue ship with more than 600 people aboard.
A statement from the foreign ministry said the ambassador had been summoned yesterday “following the statements in Paris about the Aquarius”.
Macron’s office earlier said that France doesn’t want to “start a precedent” that would allow some European countries to breach international laws and rely on other EU member states to take in the thousands of migrants.
Spain has agreed to accept the Aquarius in its port in Valencia.
An Italian coast guard vessel has docked in Sicily with more than 900 migrants aboard, evidence that Italy’s new anti-migrant government is still taking in some asylum-seekers but is forcing the rest of Europe to accept others.
Crew aboard the Diciotti began disembarking passengers in Catania’s port early yesterday.
At the same time, the Aquarius vessel of the aid group SOS Mediterranee continued its journey westward e to Spain.
The fates of the two ships are evidence of the policy shift by Italy’s new populist government.
It is refusing entry to rescue ships of European-flagged aid groups, but allow Italian maritime vessels in its ports.
The shift has heightened tensions in Europe, with France accusing Italy of irresponsible behaviour amid the crisis.