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WORLD NEWS Monday 16 July 2018

Food sent to migrants off Sicily as Italy awaits EU offers

By FRANCES D'EMILIO Finding takers for all of the
ROME (AP) — Another day's asylum-seekers on the mili-
worth of food and bever- tary ships waiting off Sicily,
ages was sent Sunday to a in the grips of a heat wave,
pair of military ships off Sicily could be a long process.
as Italy waited for more Eu- Baby food, milk and juice
ropean nations to pledge were among the provisions
to take a share of the hun- being delivered Sunday
dreds of migrants on board so the people aboard will
before allowing the asy- have necessities for anoth-
lum-seekers to step off onto er 24 hours. A fishing boat,
Italian soil. launched Friday from Libya
Germany, Spain and Portu- by human traffickers and
gal each agreed to accept crowded with some 450 mi-
50 of the migrants, follow- grants, sailed to tiny Linosa
ing similar offers by fellow island off Sicily, passing
European Union members In this photo taken on Thursday, July 12, 2018, 67 migrants rescued at sea by the Vos Thalassa through both Libya's and
France and Malta on Satur- freighter disembark from the Italian Coast Guard ship Diciotti, southern Italy. Malta's search-and-rescue
day, Italian Premier Giuese- Associated Press areas.q
ppe Conte said.
But the Czech Republic re- stance on immigration tak-
buffed the appeal, calling en by several eastern Eu-
the distribution plan a "road ropean countries, among
to hell." them the Czech Republic.
Italian Interior Minister Mat- The same intransigence is
teo Salvini has vowed to being experienced by the
prohibit further disembark- Italian government.
ing in Italy of migrants who Italy's Conte insisted the
were rescued while cross- "solidarity" strategy was
ing the Mediterranean Sea working, citing the offers
unless the burden is shared from France, Malta and
by other EU countries. Germany.
Salvini, who leads the right- "This is the solidarity and re-
wing League party in Italy's sponsibility that we have al-
populist coalition govern- ways sought from Europe,"
ment, told reporters Sun- the premier said on Face-
day the "aim was for broth- book. He added that Italy
erly re-distribution" of the would "continue on this
450 rescued passengers on path, with firmness and in
the two military ships. respect of human rights."
Conte contacted fellow EU More than 600,000 migrants
nation leaders Saturday, were rescued in the cen-
asking them to take some tral Mediterranean and
of the rescued migrants. brought to Italian territory
But Czech Prime Minister in the last few years. Many
Andrej Babis tweeted that were economic migrants
his country "won't take any ineligible for asylum. Since
migrants," dismissing Italy's their home countries often
approach as a "road to don't facilitate repatriation,
hell" that would encourage Italy has been left to shelter
more migrant smuggling. many of them, although
While campaigning for thousands have slipped out
Italy's March election, Sal- of Italy to seek work or rela-
vini praised the hard-line tives in northern Europe.