Italy wasn't safe port in Open Arms case

(ANSA) - Rome, February 17 - Italy was not the port of safety (POS) in the case of the Open Arms migrant rescue ship former interior minister Matteo Salvini is accused of keeping at sea for days in 'kidnapping' the migrants aboard, Salvini has told the Senate immunity panel in his defence report on the case, seeking to avoid having his parliamentary immunity lifted to face trial.
    "The indication of the POS was up to Spain or Malta", he said.
    Salvini said the commander of the ship deliberately ignored the POS indicated by Spain, wasting precious time with the sole aim of landing the migrants in Sicily, Salvini said.
    Salvini said the skipper had already done so in March 2018 and had been charged with private violence and favouring clandestine immigration.
    Anti-migrant nationalist League leader Salvini said "Italy did not have any competence or obligation with reference to all the rescues carried out by the Spanish ship Open Arms, which took place outside its area of pertinence.
    "This is shown by the exchange of correspondence between Valletta and Madrid in the early days of August 2019.
    "It is surely the State whose flag the ship was flying that must indicate the POS in the case of operations carried out by NGO ships in autonomy".
    The Open Arms case will come before the Senate immunity panel on February 27.
    The Senate voted in full session last week for Salvini to face trial in another migrant 'kidnap' case, regarding the Gregoretti coast guard ship.
    Salvini operated a closed ports policy for NGO migrant rescue ships during his term as interior minister from May 2018 to July 2019.