Operation of the EU: Italy refuses to accept refugees from the mission "Sophia"

It can not be said that the Italians did not warn. Now Brussels becomes serious: Italy does not want to automatically resettle refugee survivors in the Mediterranean as part of the EU mission "Sophia". The subject was discussed by SPIEGEL at a meeting of EU Security Ambbadadors (PSC) Wednesday in Brussels. The occasion was the discussion of the ambbadadors on the annual report on the mission

The EU's maritime mission off the Libyan coast, which also includes German naval ships, is primarily aimed at carry smugglers in the Mediterranean. If the contraband activity is destroyed, fewer people will die from crossing the Mediterranean Sea, the EU hopes. In addition, "Sophia" (EUNAVFOR MED) should also take care of training Libyan coastguards and monitor the UN arms embargo before Libya.

As part of legal obligations, EU ships, especially, who have fallen into distress. They are then landed in Italy – which makes the threat of Rome so dangerous. Friday, the subject will be discussed again at the PSK

Italy has repeatedly argued in recent weeks, reported Italian newspapers. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had recently announced before the meeting of EU Interior Ministers in Innsbruck that his country was no longer automatically ready to open its ports for the first time. refugees. Salvini, who is also the leader of the Lega Nord xenophobia, did well with his critical refugee course in Italy

Salvini's concerns were reinforced by Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi in a letter to Federica Mogherini, according to the Italian news agency Reports Ansa. "Italy badumes that the current rules of the EUNAVFOR mission are no longer applicable," the statement said. Italian Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte addressed similar questions to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk

Rome refers to the decisions of the last EU summit on the refugee crisis in late June . At the meeting, Italy had urged that other EU countries also provide ports for the reception of refugees.

(More on the action "Germany Speaks" can be found here.)

Italy is increasing pressure on other EU countries. In the past, the country had already refused entry into Italian ports to private distress rescuers. The operation "Sophia" is led by Italy, but the rules do not say that the refuge to receive the refugees must necessarily be in Italy. Thus, as the Italians argue, other EU countries could also be responsible.

The EU Maritime Mission was launched in June 2015, with operations between the Italian and Libyan coasts. The head of EU foreign policy, Mogherini, has always been strong in the past for the mission. His term runs until the end of the year, and that is why there is currently a lot of discussion about what his term should look like in the future. In total, more than 49,000 people were saved from distress with the operation "Sophia", as the Bundeswehr calls it. The operation is named after a Somali girl born in 2015 aboard the frigate Schleswig-Holstein.

Video on refugee rescuers in the Mediterranean: a crisis zone on the high seas