The NGO that has been acting as an immigrant “taxi service” was shocked to learn that as of now they have no flag under which to fly.
It has been over four years since former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told the Europeans, in April of 2015, that they must turn back the boats carrying Africans and Middle Easterners to Europe. They are finally getting to it. It’s just too bad that hundreds of thousands got in during those interim years.
From Reuters:
Panama revokes registration of last migrant rescue ship in central Mediterranean
MILAN (Reuters) – The Panama Maritime Authority has revoked the registration of search and rescue ship Aquarius 2 in a move that means there will be no charity rescue ships off the Libyan coast in the near future unless the vessel can find a new flag to sail under.
Aquarius 2, the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the Central Mediterranean area, is currently at sea with 58 survivors on board.
The decision by the Panama Authority (PMA) means that once the ship comes into port it will be deflagged and will not be allowed to operate again unless it can find a new flag.
SOS Mediterranee, one of the charities that operates the Aquarius, said in a statement it was reeling from news of the revocation, which it said followed pressure from the Italian government.
“On Saturday … the Aquarius team was shocked to learn of an official communication from the Panamanian authorities stating that the Italian authorities had urged the PMA to take ‘immediate action’ against the Aquarius,” it said.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the Italian government had applied no pressure on Panama.
A public backlash against the arrival of hundreds of thousands of seaborne newcomers in the past five years helped put Italy’s anti-establishment ruling coalition into office.
Salvini has led a popular crackdown against immigration since his League party and the anti-establishment 5 Star Movement took office in June.
Salvini has previously accused SOS Mediterranee and other charities of acting like a Mediterranean “taxi service” for the migrants.
I did see another story over the weekend somewhere reporting that Spain is still picking them up in the western Mediterranean and ferrying them to Spain.
My complete ‘Invasion of Europe’ archive is here.