(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 10 -
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi on Thursday called the French reaction to a migrant rescue boat spat with Italy "totally incomprehensible" after Paris suspended plans to take in 3,500 refugees currently in Italy and called on all the participants in the EU's migrant relocation mechanism to adopt similar measures after Rome refused to assign a port of safety to the French NGO run ship Ocean Viking, which is now heading for Toulon. "The reaction that France is having in the face of the request to welcome 234 migrants - when Italy has welcomed 90,000 only this year - is totally incomprehensible in the face of the continuous calls for solidarity due to these people. But it also shows how firm and determined the posture of other nations in the face of illegal immigration is. What we don't understand is why Italy should willingly accept something that others are not willing to accept," said Piantedosi. He added, after French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced the reaction: "European solidarity is trumpeted but Italy has so far faced this problem alone and our reception system is in serious difficulty. "It is therefore clear," he explained, "that Italy will not be able to give its adherence to solutions for a European Pact not adequately balanced between solidarity and responsibility measures. The countries of first entry cannot, in fact, alone bear the burden of exclusive responsibility for the management of flows". For this reason, he added, "we continue to maintain that the most serious solution is to work together to stop departures from North Africa". Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Paris's reaction had been "disproportionate". Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, who operated a controversial closed door policy to NGO ships during a stint as interior minister in 2018-19, said pointedly: "European solidarity..." over a screenshot of the news of the blockade requested by France of all EU countries. |
|
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA