As NGO ships are arriving in Sicily loaded with migrants, Massimiliano Romeo, the leader of the far-right League in the Senate, took aim at EU ‘moralists’ who demand humanitarianism but rely on the ports of others when it comes to migration.
Tension is rising between Italy and Europe on the thorny issue of migration, with the latter asking the former to show solidarity. However, the new government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is rebelling against EU rules and demanding the redistribution of asylum seekers to other member states.
“I notice that in Europe, they are all humanitarians but with the port of others, a bit like those who play the moralist with other people’s problems”, says the leader of the League (ID) in the Senate, Massimiliano Romeo.
“On the ship (the migrants) are in optimal conditions, they have no particular problems, they are fed and cared for. In some cases, they are in more humane conditions there than in some reception centres, like the one in Lampedusa”, Romeo added, not mentioning that some migrants aboard the vessels were driven to jump into the water in desperation.
Hundreds of migrants landed in Sicily over the past few days, carried by NGO ships: ‘Humanity 1’ and ‘Geo Barents’. At the same time, 89 migrants landed in Calabria from the German ship ‘Rise Above’ after its mission was designated a Search and Rescue event by the Ministry of the Interior.
The migrants were assisted by medical staff and identified, then transferred to facilities which were already overcrowded before being moved on to other locations.
Incandescent back-and-forth between France and Italy
The Ocean Viking, a ship of the NGO Sos Mediterranéee, is heading to France, the only European country to have made itself available to receive ‘part’ of the 234 migrant passengers.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked France for its solidarity, which followed the meeting at COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheik between Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron, the first European leader to meet Meloni after she was sworn in.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini (League/ID) also rejoiced at France’s willingness to take in migrants previously destined for Italy: “That’s good. The air has changed,” he said.
However, France said Italy is guilty of unacceptable behaviour and has an attitude contrary to the law of the sea and the spirit of European solidarity.
French far-right Alternative France MEP and former Rassemblement National member Gilbert Collard wrote on Twitter: “The Ocean Viking is now heading to France with 234 stowaways on board: enough is enough, our misery must come first! No French port for the Ocean Viking”.
This rhetoric has been echoed by other politicians who maintain that Italy cannot take charge of reception alone as the country has done so many times.
Clash with Brussels
However, the European Commission demanded that Italy facilitate the landings based on a “legal and moral obligation”.
“I would like to reiterate that according to international rules, every effort should be made to ensure that the time people remain on board these ships is minimised”, said Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi rejected the attack and clarified: “We do not accept lessons from anyone in terms of respecting human rights”.
The Commission calls for the immediate disembarkation, in the nearest safe place, of all rescued persons on board the Ocean Viking as “the situation on board the vessel has reached a critical level and must be urgently addressed to avoid a humanitarian tragedy”.
“It is important to provide support to countries receiving regular arrivals by sea: based on the agreed Solidarity Mechanism, a significant number of relocation places are available to help alleviate some of the pressure through relocation to other member states,” the Commission clarifies in a note.
(Federica Pascale | EURACTIV.it)
Source: euractiv.com
