This is a picture worth a thousand words!
We told you here that the Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini said that the latest migrant transport ship could dock, but not unload ‘new Europeans’ until other countries in the EU agreed to take them.
As of last night the stalemate continues although now the city of Agrigento has opened an investigation aimed at allowing the passengers (who are infested with scabies) be allowed ashore.
From The Guardian:
Salvini defiant over investigation into illegal detention of migrants
Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into the illegal detention of 177 migrants onboard a coastguard vessel that the minister of the interior, Matteo Salvini, refuses to allow to land.
The Ubaldo Diciotti has been docked for 48 hours at the port of Catania, Sicily, but the majority of the migrants have not been allowed to disembark without having guarantees from Brussels on their distribution to other countries.
The investigation, conducted by the prosecutor of the city of Agrigento, was launched against “unknowns” but it is clear that if the magistrates were to go ahead with a judicial proceeding, Salvini would end up under investigation, being the only one responsible for the landing ban.
“I heard that the prosecutor’s office in Agrigento has opened an investigation,” said Salvini in a recent video on Facebook Live.
“I also heard that the suspects are ‘unknown’ at the moment. But I’m not unknown. My name is Matteo Salvini, I’m the minister of the interior. Come on, try me too, I’m here.”
The Ubaldo Diciotti docked on Monday night in the port of Catania but the 177 migrants onboard, including 29 unaccompanied minors, were refused authorisation to disembark.
[….]
On Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors in Agrigento visited the ship and questioned the captain and several migrants.
“There are migrants onboard clearly affected by scabies,” said the chief prosecutor, Luigi Patronaggio. “They require urgent medical assistance. The situation onboard is critical.”
Salvini does allow the ‘unaccompanied minors’ to leave the ship. You all know how that scam has been working when the men say they are minors but there is no proof!
Following the magistrates’ visit, Salvini authorised on Wednesday night for the 29 unaccompanied minors to disembark, but made it clear he would not authorise the landing of the remaining 148 asylum seekers onboard “unless Europe steps in”.
Maybe the mayor and the citizens of the tourist town of Agrigento could be required to open their homes to the remaining African men—require they stay for a couple of years as the city pays for their care. I wonder if that might change the politics of the city.
Oh, and maybe the Italian government will spring for masks and scabies meds! (I can dream can’t I!).
All of my ‘Invasion of Europe’ posts are archived here.