PN agrees with government stand on anti-migrant vessel

The Nationalist Party yesterday said it agreed with the stand taken by the government not to allow the C-Star vessel to enter Maltese waters.

The ship, C-Star belongs to an anti-immigration movement called Defend Europe, an organisation set up by French, Italian and German citizens.

The scope of the vessel is to send messages of extremism which the PN does not agree with, the party said in a statement.

“Our values are of solidarity and tolerance which should always win against extremism and racism,” the PN said.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this week defended the government’s decision to deny the CStar entry, labelling the group behind it “racist, if not nazi”. The decision was welcomed by a number of NGOs.

On the other hand, local antimigrant group Moviment Patrijotti Maltin was yesterday working to supply the vessel with food and water. MPM criticised the government for banning its entry into Maltese waters. It is understood that some supplies were delivered to the ship by private boats after an appeal for water and food donations was made on social media.

Defend Europe has regarded its ‘mission’ as a success, claiming it drastically reduced the number of migrant arrivals in Europe. Operation Defend Europe came to an abrupt end this week after more than a month at sea

The vessel was refused entry into port by Sicily and Tunisia, apart from Malta.

In a Facebook message on Saturday, the group denounced Malta as “the headquarters for NGO sea taxis” and a “gate for illegal immigration” while refusing entry to Europeans — meaning the anti-migrant activists on the C Star. The message said the vessel would try to berth in France or Croatia instead.