Brussels warns Italy of ‘moral duty and legal obligation’ to save migrants at sea | International

The European Commission reminded the new Italian government on Monday that Member States have a “moral duty” and a “legal obligation” to rescue migrants at sea, whatever the conditions for getting there. Meanwhile, hundreds of people continue to wait in rescue vessels near Italian ports, without being allowed to disembark by Italian authorities. The case, which takes the harsh immigration policy of Italy’s new prime minister, the far-right Giorgia Meloni, ignited tensions between Rome and humanitarian organizations, rescue ships, one of which was carrying a German flag, and Berlin. Italy that finally made some on Sunday landings of the chosendemands that the flag countries of the rescue ships undertake the distribution of the migrants.

Insisting that he does not have the authority to decide on salvage operations at sea or determine landing sites, the Community Manager pointed out that he is closely monitoring the situation of the 573 migrants waiting to disembark from four ships off Italian ports this Monday. according to the data. A spokesperson for the European Commission Home Affairs and Immigration said: “Everything possible must be done to minimize the time people spend on these ships, in accordance with international standards.” said. Also, as the mayor of Syracuse reported to Agence France Presse, about 500 more people, including children, have been rescued in the past few hours and are already in Sicily. “They will first be examined by doctors, then diagnosed by the police and then transferred to reception centres,” said Giuseppa Scaduto.

Brussels also urged Member States to cooperate and assume their legal obligations to guarantee rescues at sea. German Foreign Ministry spokesman Clashed with Meloni Executive While demanding that the rescued immigrants be allowed in “quickly”, he commented on Monday that the German government is in talks with the Italian government about the legal status of the immigrants. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) urged Italy on Monday to disembark the stranded people “without delay”.

The situation on board is tense, desperate for some migrants who have not set foot ashore for more than a week, and for the crew, who has Italy’s pulse and has appealed in court against the Meloni Executive’s decision.

The immigration policy of the far-right government started to be implemented with the statement of the Minister of Interior on Friday. Matteo Piantedosiannounced that they will only allow selective landing of NGO ships entering their territorial waters. In other words, Italy will only temporarily accept passengers from the ships in question. need humanitarian aid such as pregnant women, children or patients. The remainder must remain aboard the mission and return to international waters. The first attempt did not go as the Director had expected, and the first two ships arriving in the Italian port refused to sail again after the passage, which was thought to be “fragile”, came ashore. The other two ships await instructions on the high seas.

Some of the passengers disembarked on Saturday. humanity 1, German flag. Italy allowed 155 of the 179 migrants rescued to land. The rest, about 24 adult men with no medical problems, are still inside the ship docked in port. Elective landing was also done. Geo Barents, 215 people were rescued from the MSF ship, where 357 people, mostly women and children, disembarked.

The three jumped into the waters of the Sicilian port of Catania on Monday after Italian authorities refused to allow them to disembark. The three men came out of the sea on their own strength; According to Efe and Efe, the two sat on the port’s central pier on Monday afternoon and refused to reboard. The other came back to the ship and announced that he had jumped into the water to help the other two.

Two dozen activists came to the port to shout “shame or freedom” as the immigrants hung several placards reading “Help us” (help us) on the deck of the ship.

The measure taken by the Meloni Executive Board aims to pressure the European Union and the countries displayed by the flags carried by NGO boats to take responsibility for the distribution of migrants in other countries. Pope Francis, who is hardly suspected of being compatible with the immigration assumptions of the far-right, stressed on his return journey from Bahrain to Rome on Sunday: “The immigration policy should be decided with all EU countries that need to take action. In this case, with a policy of cooperation and aid, because Spain, Cyprus, You cannot leave Italy and Greece alone and taking full responsibility for the incoming migrants”.

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