Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 June 2018

Migrant aid ship on way to Spain as Italy draws deeper line

By NICOLE WINFIELD migrants will go next.
SYLVIE CORBET Italy's argument with
ROME (AP) — Italy France came after Macron
escalated its quarrel with on Tuesday blasted what
France over migration he called Italy's cynicism
Wednesday, challenging and irresponsibility in
the bordering country turning away the Aquarius.
to take in more asylum- The French president's
seekers and demanding an office said France didn't
apology after the French want to "start a precedent"
president accused the that would allow some
new Italian government of European countries to
irresponsible behavior for breach international
refusing entry to a rescue laws and rely on other EU
ship with hundreds of member states to take in
migrants aboard. migrants.
Interior Minister Matteo The French government
Salvini chided French was more conciliatory
President Emmanuel Wednesday, when the
Macron by name during a Foreign Ministry said France
speech before Parliament's recognized the burden
upper chamber, while Migrants wait to disembark from an Italian Coast Guard vessell "Diciotti" as it docks at the Sicilian Italy has carried.
Italian news reports said port of Catania, southern Italy, Wednesday, June 13, 2018 Macron and new Italian
a meeting between Associated Press Premier Giuseppe Conte
Macron and Italian Premier were scheduled to meet in
Giuseppe Conte planned some of the 629 passengers the plan, according to EU Freedom Party, proposed Paris on Friday, but Italian
for Friday now was in doubt. are expected to arrive figures. the idea Wednesday of an news agency ANSA said
"I speak in the name of a in Valencia on Saturday The line Italy drew with the "axis of the willing" — made Wednesday the meeting
government, but I also have night, weather conditions Aquarius appeared to be up of Rome, Vienna and might be postponed
the aim of speaking for a permitting, said SOS a tactic by the populist Berlin — to cooperate in because the conditions
people who have nothing Mediterranee co-founder government sworn in this tackling illegal immigration. weren't right. Conte's office
to learn from anyone about Sophie Beau, whose charity month to force Europe's Salvini has accused refused to confirm the
generosity, volunteerism, operates the aid ship. If hand at a summit of EU European aid groups of report. Earlier in the day, the
welcome and solidarity," the timeline holds, that leaders in Brussels set for essentially operating taxi Italian Foreign Ministry said it
Salvini, the leader of the would be a week after June 28-29. services for Libya-based had summoned the French
anti-migrant League party, the Aquarius first sought Italy for years has human traffickers and said ambassador to complain
said to applause in the permission to dock in Italy. complained that it has Italy will now refuse their that the French comments
Senate chamber. The port of Valencia is some been left largely alone rescue ships entry. about the Aquarius were
In other signs of the 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) to manage Europe's Italian maritime vessels "unacceptable."
continuing clash, from where the vessel had migrant crisis, but the new that have picked up It added that Italy was
Italy summoned the been on standby. government says its firm Europe-bound migrants waiting for French to take
French ambassador for "It's a relief for everyone, stance has finally gotten in the Mediterranean still action to "heal the situation
consultations, canceled a our teams and of course the point across. are entering the ports; on that has been created."
planned meeting between above all for the survivors, "I think we've never been Wednesday, an Italian Under the EU's asylum laws
finance ministers and to know that they are so central and so heard coast guard vessel docked — currently the subject of a
warned that diplomatic finally allowed to head to a as we have been over in Catania, Sicily with 932 major political dispute and
relations between the two safe port in Europe," Beau the last hours," Salvini told migrants on board. under revision — migrants
European Union members told reporters in Marseille, the senators, adding that Still at sea were 41 must apply for asylum in
had been compromised. France. sympathetic officials from migrants rescued Tuesday the country where they first
Italy has received both Lashing out at the French Germany and elsewhere by the U.S. Navy vessel enter Europe. In practice,
criticism and praise for government, Salvini said had contacted him to Trenton, which was in the the policy has placed a
turning away the Aquarius France had taken in only applaud his position. Mediterranean for what heavy burden on Italy and
rescue ship over the a fraction of the 9,816 Salvini also accused the U.S. 6th Fleet said was a Greece, where hundreds
weekend as it made its way migrants it had pledged France of having turned routine operation. German of thousands of asylum-
across the Mediterranean to accept under a 2015 back 10,249 migrants at aid group Sea-Watch said seekers have arrived in
Sea carrying 629 migrants. EU relocation plan. The EU Italy's northern border the migrants were picked recent years.
Rome says the rescue plan, which was intended since January, "including up after their rubber dinghy A boat loaded with 55
vessel's passengers never to relieve pressure on Italy women, children and sank and the Navy also people who were thought
were in danger and argues and Greece, has largely disabled people." had recovered the bodies to be Syrian refugees
that other European flopped, with only a handful The border crossing point of 12 people. landed Wednesday on the
countries must share the of countries receiving their at Ventimiglia has been Sea Watch confirmed it northwest coast of Cyprus,
work of welcoming would- share of newcomers. the scene of protests and had space and food for a Mediterranean island split
be asylum-seekers. "So I ask President Macron desperation for years as 41 passengers, but said into ethnically Greek and
Two Italian naval vessels to pass from words to action France refused to let in it declined to take the Turkish sides.
are escorting the ship to and tomorrow morning, migrants, many of them migrants from the U.S. A police official, who
Spain after the Socialist welcome the 9,000 France seeking to reach family in Navy ship because Italy spoke on condition of
government of new Prime promised to welcome as a France or Germany. had refused to assign the anonymity because he
Minister Pedro Sanchez sign of concrete generosity Austria's conservative group's rescue vessel a port was not authorized to
offered the Aquarius safe and not just words," Salvini Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, where it could dock. speak publicly, told the
harbor Monday. said. who since December has The U.S. Sixth Fleet said Associated Press there were
The Aquarius and two France has admitted 635 led a coalition government it was coordinating with 54 men and one woman
Italian ships that took on migrants under the terms of with the anti-migration its partners on where the aboard the boat.q