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Italy's right-wing parties upped
pressure to either reform or abandon the government's migrant
search-and-rescue program on Monday after 30 people were found
dead aboard the latest migrant ship landing off Sicily.
"Stop crossings, help them at home now!" said Matteo
Salvini, the head of the anti-immigrant Northern League on
Facebook.
"The shirts of (Premier Matteo) Renzi and (Interior
Minister Angelino) Alfano are stained with blood".
Nearly 600 passengers were aboard the boat intercepted by
the navy, officials said, adding the dead victims on board
likely asphyxiated.
Figures released Monday showed Italy has rescued some
65,000 migrants off its coasts since the start of the year -
more than the total of 2011 when a record 63,000 were retrieved
from the sea.
The government has boosted its operations under an
initiative called Mare Nostrum, launched after roughly 400
migrants died in shipwrecks last October off the coast of
Lampedusa, a tiny island off the coast of Sicily.
It has come under increasing fire from the Northern League
and the center-right Forza Italia party of Silvio Berlusconi for
its cost and for allegedly facilitating human trafficking.
"With Mare Nostrum we've incentivized, with grave
consequences, an influx of illegal migrants that seems
unstoppable. Our country must put an end to the operation and
force the EU to confront this problem which is a European one
rather than an Italian one," said FI Senator Vincenzo Gibiino
from Sicily.
Italy has been imploring the EU for more help, but
reciprocity on asylum seekers and migrants was scratched from EU
summit conclusions last week under strong pressure from northern
European members.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Monday
that the EU is looking for ways "to contribute more" financially
to migrant rescues off Italy, but only "with respect to existing
resources," thus ruling out new funds.
German President Joachim Gauck urged greater help for Italy
earlier. Shortly after, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel
said Germany already assumes its responsibilities with regard to
refugees.
The staff of Jean-Claude Juncker, president designate of
the EU Commission, is considering the creation of a new ad hoc
commissioner for immigration and mobility, sources said Monday,
stressing that the question of a new commissioner would not be
discussed until after the next European Council on July 16.
"I hear a lot of talk but the Commission isn't doing a
thing. It's dumping the problem on Italy," said Lombardy
Governor Roberto Maroni of the Northern League.
"Real measures must be put in place, something loud,
otherwise we run the risk of only talking about it".
Meanwhile members of Italy's left also upped pressure on
the EU to help it on the front lines of the growing immigration
problem, as migration centers across the country are stretched
beyond capacity.
"We're truly at the limit," said Milan Mayor Giuliano
Pisapia, adding that Milan accepts on average 1,000 refugees per
day.
"This is Europe's real responsibility. It's leaving Italy
all by itself".
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