Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini said Monday that the NGO-run migrant search-and-rescue ship Aquarius will not be allowed access to Italy's ports. "Aquarius NGO ship with another 141 immigrants on board: German owned, rented by French NGO, foreign crew, in Maltese waters, flying the flag of Gibraltar," Salvini said via Twitter.
"It can go where it wants, (but) not to Italy! Stop human being traffickers and accomplices, #portsclosed and #openhearts". Salvini, the leader of the rightwing League party, has spearheaded the new Italian government's tough stance on migration which was seen NGO search-and-reascue vessels denied access to Italy's ports. The Aquarius, rented by the SOS Mediterranee NGO and managed in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), was at the centre of international spat in June when Italy and Malta both refused to lot it dock.
It ended up having to go to Spain with over 600 migrants it rescued transported with the help of an Italian escort.
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