Italy threatened to close its ports to foreign ships carrying rescued refugees
The country asks for support to manage the influx of migrants
In the beginning of July, interior ministers from France, Germany and Italy were to meet to talk about the migrants crisis: more than 500,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean from Africa through Italian ports since 2014 and the the Interior Minister M. Minniti threatened to close its ports to rescue ships run by aid agencies. Here’s why:
Lybia is a gateway to Europe for migrants and Sicily is the closest ground from Tripoli. Therefore, the Italian coastguards lead the rescue operations but responsibles are disappointed that foreign non-profit groups, including European ones, are sailing the rescued to the Italian ports rather than to their own ones.
As a result, Prime Minister P. Gentiloni accused the other European nations of “looking the other way”.
The EU has difficulties disciplining the help
“If the only ports where refugees are taken to are Italian, something is wrong” — Italian Interior Minister M. Minniti
In 2015, a solidarity plan has been agreed, and 160,000 migrants were meant to be relocated between EU countries based on the size and wealth of each country. If western European countries have taken large numbers of migrants, Romania, the Czeck Republic, Slovakia and Hungary voted against accepting their quotas. In June, Austria and Denmark haven’t taken any refugee yet. Therefore, only 20,900 refugees have been relocated, and the EU has begun legal action against the countries that don’t take their share.
Can Italy really block its ports?
According to the ICSL, the operation could be illegal.
“The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea dictates that the country responsible for operations in that area has primary responsibility for taking them from the ship” [Source].
Also, it would mean redirecting those boats to Marseille in France or Spain, adding a dangerous one-day trip to the sailors, and to confront those countries refusal since they already have to manage alone the influx coming from west Africa (see above).
As a result, each commentator have its own view of the issue and everyone seems to wait for the EU to find a solution.
Get to know what came next in the following article:
We want to get Europeans closer together and you can help us.
Hit the 👏🏼 button below to help our community’s work get the fame it deserves. You can also bring your unique brick to the project’s edifice by writing for Nationall among more than 50 writers across Europe.
