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Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte refuses two military ships, which rescued a boat from Libya on Friday, to dock in Italy.
A new standoff between Italy and Malta on Saturday, July 14, after the transhipment of some 450 migrants on two military ships in Italian waters. A wooden boat from Libya had been spotted on Friday 13 July at dawn in international waters but in the Maltese intervention zone.
In an exchange of messages, e-mails and telephone calls between Authorities of both countries, Rome tried Friday to make the responsibility of these migrants in Malta.
Valletta replied by stating that the boat was much closer to the Italian island of Lampedusa than its own territory, stressing that the migrants did not want Maltese aid but wanted to continue on their way to Italy.
See also:
More than 600 migrants have died in the Mediterranean in the last four weeks
Malta reiterated on Saturday that it had respected "all the obligations provided for by international conventions" with regard to rescue at sea.
On Saturday morning, they were transhipped on board two vessels but their fate remains uncertain. Eight people, women and children, were transported for medical reasons on the island of Lampedusa.
Some migrants reportedly flung themselves into the water when they saw the two military ships, an Italian and an English one. of the European Frontex mission, thus forcing the aid to come in.
Rome calls for an immediate redistribution of migrants
According to sources from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, cited by the Italian media, Mr Conte intends to demand from the other countries of the European Union the immediate redistribution of migrants, otherwise their landing in Italy would be prohibited.
The Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini insisted on the head of the government Giuseppe Conte so that the two ships were instructed by "to sail south, Libya or Malta" .
See also, in Europe:
A Council of Ministers of the Interior under the exclusive sign of security
"It takes an act of justice, respect and courage to fight against the traffickers of human beings and to provoke a European intervention" said the minister, also leader of the extreme right party the League, according to his entourage, quoted by the agencies.
This situation is reminiscent of the German humanitarian ship Lifeline with its 233 migrants on board, obliged to wait for a week at sea the outcome of a standoff between Valletta and Rome, before being allowed to land in Malta
In office since 1 er June, Matteo Salvini, who wants to reduce to zero the number of migrants arriving on the Italian coasts, decided a month ago to ban access to Italian ports to NGOs providing badistance to migrants in the Mediterranean, a position which marks Italy's new hard line in migration matters.
now wants to expand this inter to the ships of international missions in the Mediterranean, Italy's position being to share the management of migratory flows with the European Union.
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