Interior Minister Matteo Salvini says that before anyone can step off the ship, other EU countries must agree to take the migrants to their own countries.
Invasion of Europe news…..
From The Guardian:
Standoff in Italy as Salvini refuses to let in refugees after coastguard ship docks
An Italian coastguard ship with 177 people on board has docked in the Sicilian seaport of Catania, but Italy’s far-right interior minister Matteo Salvini has not given authorisation for the refugees and migrants to disembark.
The passengers, who have been stuck on the coastguard boat Ubaldo Diciotti for five days will not be allowed on land until “Europe steps in to help’’, Salvini said.
The Diciotti picked up 190 refugees and migrants last Wednesday from an overcrowded boat about 17 sea miles from the island of Lampedusa. Thirteen of them were evacuated for emergency medical treatment.
Since then, Rome has insisted that Malta should take the group because their boat first passed through its search-and-rescue area. But Malta has refused, claiming that the migrants wanted to reach Italy. Questioned by the Italian authorities, the 13 evacuated migrants claimed that the Maltese had escorted them outside its search-and-rescue zone.
On Monday afternoon, after three days of negotiations, Italy’s transport minister Danilo Toninelli announced finally on Twitter that “The Diciotti ship will dock in Catania.”
But shortly afterwards, sources close to Salvini said he had not given the authorisation to disembark, suggesting the boat was granted permission to dock but the migrants will have to remain on board.
Salvini said on Italian TV: “The ship may land in Italy, as long as the 177 migrants are distributed, in a spirit of solidarity by the EU.”
Meanwhile…..
From The Express:
EU’S SCHENGEN CRISIS: Germany ‘considering proposal to impose border controls’ with FRANCE
Germany will send shockwaves to the rest of the Europe by proposing fellow EU powerhouse France with border controls, according to reports.
Too bad Chancellor Merkel didn’t close Germany’s borders years ago since it was the magnet for the massive flood of migrants to Europe in 2014 and 2015!
And this too…
From the New York Times about Spain:
‘All of Africa Is Here’: Where Europe’s Southern Border Is Just a Fence
CEUTA, Spain — For most migrants from Africa, the last stage of their trip to Europe involves some sort of perilous sea crossing. At the border in Ceuta, there is just a fence.
Go here for my complete ‘Invasion of Europe’ archive which extends back years and shows a chronology of weakness by European leaders who were warned that they must stop the invasion by turning back boats/securing borders years ago.
Italy gives me hope, but realistically is it too late…will Europe one day be Africa and the Middle East?