Italy transfers 450 migrants from fishing boat but refuses to give them safe haven
Italy moved 451 migrants from a fishing boat on to two border patrol vessels yesterday in the Mediterranean Sea, but Italy’s hard-line interior minister insisted they should be sent to Malta or Libya.
Matteo Salvini, who has forced migration to the top of Europe’s agenda by refusing to let rescue boats dock at Italian ports, pledges to remain firm in yet another stand-off with hundreds of migrants stranded at sea.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s office said three ideas were being considered. They were to redistribute the migrants among European countries, contact Libyan authorities to arrange for their return, or keep them on the ships to screen them for asylum. Italy and Malta refused to let the fishing boat dock. Malta said on Friday that it had fulfilled its obligations by monitoring the vessel to see if it needed help.
It said the ship’s crew made it clear that they were sailing to the Italian island of Lampedusa and moved out of Maltese waters.
Mr Salvini and Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli insisted that Malta should have opened its ports to the ship.
Early yesterday, the migrants were taken off the boat and transferred on to a rescue vessel from the EU border patrol agency Frontex and a ship from the Italian border police.
Mr Salvini’s office said he told Mr Conte that the two ships should now be directed south towards Malta “or better, Libya”.
In one month in office, Mr Salvini has overturned years of Italian policy toward migrants by refusing them entry.
Italy in general feels that the EU has left it alone to handle the tens of thousands of migrants crossing the sea every year.
Mr Salvini is pressing the EU to take in the migrants who land in Italy and trying to help Libya to stop them leaving.
Aid officials said migrants being returned to Libya are at risk of abuse, rape, beatings and slavery.