Italy to help move Aquarius migrants (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, June 12 - Italian ships will help take the over 600 people aboard migrant-rescue vessel Aquarius to Valencia, Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli said on Tuesday. Spain on Monday offered to provide a safe port for the Aquarius, which is run by the SOS Mediterranee NGO, after Rome refused to allow it access to Italian ports at the weekend.
    "Just political pragmatism" was used in this case, said Toninelli.
    "No one's life was put in danger... No more immigration business. It's possible to change". The new Italian government said its hardline stance was necessary to make the European Union give more help to Italy in handling migrant flows from North Africa, saying Rome's appeals for assistance have been unheard for too long.
    Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that Spain's decision to let the Aquarius migrants land in Valencia showed that "raising your voice" pays.
    A volunteer on the Aquarius said Tuesday that around 500 of the over 600 people on board are to be transferred to Italian ships.
    Volunteer Alessandro Porro said that this was necessary because the Aquarius was too full to tackle the journey to Valencia. "The weather conditions over the next few days are set to deteriorate, so we won't be able to face this trip with all these people on board," Porro told RAI show Agorà. "Rome said the solution was to entrust 500 of the people we rescued to the Coast Guard's Dattilo ship and a Navy ship that we do not yet know the name of. "From our point of view, this is not the best, most rational use of SAR (search and rescue) resources because, at a time when there are all these vessels that should be save in a place where people are dying, they are actually being used for a long transfer that will take days.
    "This nullifies our rescue capability and we are sorry that this situation will lead to more deaths".