Spain on Monday said it would take
in a German NGO ship with 629 migrants on board after Italy's
new populist government blocked it from Italian ports on Sunday.
The Aquarius will be allowed to dock in the Spanish port of
Valencia, Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez said Monday, spurring
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to say "raising your voice
pays".
The decision ended a stand-off between Italy and Malta after
Salvini, leader of the anti-migrant League party, said the ship
run by SOS Mediterranée could not dock in Italy and said
Valletta should take it.
Malta refused, saying the migrants were picked up off Libya
in an area that is Italy's competence.
After Sanchez's statement, Salvini said: "Evidently raising
your voice, something Italy did not do for years, pays".
He said: "Victory. 629 migrants on board the ship Aquarius
heading for Spain. First objective achieved.
"We have opened a front in Brussels, with (Foreign) Minister
(Enrico) Moavero (Milanesi) we are contacting the European
Commission so that it can fulfill its duties towards Italy that
have never been respected.
"It doesn't make much difference if the ship is called
Aquarius or Sea Watch 3: we want to put an end to this traffic
of human beings.
"And so as we did for Aquarius we will raise the problem for
the other ships", Salvini said, indicating that all migrant
ships would be denied permission to dock in Italy.
Salvini said Monday the government had been "compact" and
denied there had been "splits" with government partner the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) over the Aquarius.
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte thanked Spain.
"I'd asked for a gesture of solidarity by the EU about this
emergency," Conte said during a visit to the earthquake-hit
village of Accumoli.
"I cannot fail to thank the Spanish authorities for taking up
the invitation.
"This decision goes in the direction of solidarity".
European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos hailed
Premier Sanchez's decision.
"We welcome the Spanish government's decision to let the
ship Aquarius land in Valencia for humanitarian reasons," he
said.
"This is true solidarity put into practice, both towards
these desperate and vulnerable people and towards partner member
States".
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hailed Salvini's
stance.
Saying "he is right", she said "only a policy of firmness
will enable us to put an end to the mass arrivals of illegals
and stop those who organise this hateful traffic in human
beings".
Spain's offer came amid fears conditions could deteriorate
among the migrants on board the ship.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which has doctors on the ship,
said vulnerable people were at risk.
MSF said the situation on board was "stable" but the "useless
delays" in offloading the migrants "are putting at risk
vulnerable people" and in particular seven pregnant women and 15
burns victims, as well as several migrants with symptoms of
hypothermia.
UNHCR, the UN agency for refugees and migrants, called on
Italy and Malta to allow the immediate landing of the migrants,
who were picked up by several ships including Italian navy
vessel and transferred to the Aquarius on Saturday.
"There is an urgent humanitarian imperative here," said
Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's Special Envoy for the Central
Mediterranean.
"People are in distress, are running out of provisions and
need help quickly.
Broader issues such as who has responsibility and how these
responsibilities can best be shared between States should be
looked at later."
"Fundamentally, the principle of rescue at sea must not be
put into doubt through incidents like this.
"Other governments must act to support countries dealing with
sea arrivals.
"This could include a predictable mechanism across the
region for disembarkation, based on good cooperation amongst
states and other relevant actors," Cochetel added.
Salvini's action came under fire from many Italian political
parties and from the Vatican.
Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, the president of the Pontifical
Council for Culture, quoted the gospel of Matthew.
"I was a stranger and you did not invite me in (Matthew 25
43) #Aquarius," Ravasi said via Twitter on Monday.
But the other government partner, the anti-establishment
5-Star Movement (M5S), defended Salvini's decision.
M5S bigwig and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli said
that Italy's stance was "not inhumane".
He told Sky Tg 24 that the stance was "good sense and has at
the centre the asylum seekers".
"Redistribution must be guaranteed. It is an obligation of
the European partners," he added.
"We call on all of Europe to take responsibility on an issue
that is as delicate and important as migrant flows.
"It is necessary for everyone to understand that
international law cannot entail Italy being abandoned.
"We'll always save human lives, but Malta is the warning
light of a Europe that must change".
Toninelli, an M5S Senator, said that the government had sent
doctors to the Aquarius and said that "conditions aboard are
good".
Salvini himself was undeterred and said he would block
another migrant ship.
The interior minister and deputy premier, who has vowed to
deport half a million migrants, said:
"Today the Sea Watch 3 ship of a German NGO flying a Dutch
flag is off the Libyan coast waiting to take on the umpteenth
load of immigrants to bring to Italy again".
"Italy has stopped bowing its head and obeying, this time
THERE IS SOMEONE WHO SAYS NO. #chiudiamoiporti
(#weareclosingtheports)".
On Monday the Aquarius, which also has 123 unaccompanied
minors on board, was stationary at sea, 27 nautical miles from
Malta and 35 from Italy, awaiting instructions.
"Early morning prayers onboard #Aquarius. All 629 people
rescued in #Mediterranean are unaware of ongoing diplomatic
standoff," said MSF.
"#MSF urgently requests a swift resolution and a designated
port of safety".
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