Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 23 July 2019

Macron says UN refugee agency attacked, decries Libya camps

By ELAINE GANLEY aged by the progress in
Associated Press finding a method for shar-
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- ing the work of housing asy-
dent Emmanuel Macron lum-seekers and process-
called on Libyan authori- ing their applications.
ties Monday to stop hold- Last month, Grandi and In-
ing transiting refugees in ternational Organization for
detention camps and said Migration Director General
buildings of the United Na- Antonio Vitorino lamented
tions’ refugee agency in that the EU had no predict-
Libya were attacked earlier able strategy for providing
in the day. rescue boats with safe har-
Macron did not elaborate bor and sharing newly ar-
on the attack he said was rived migrants.
carried out on buildings of The number of migrant
the U.N. High Commissioner crossings on the central
for Refugees. He said Libya Mediterranean route that
should end the “confine- leads to Italy has dimin-
ment” of refugees and ished drastically since 2015
house in safe places those and 2016.
who reach the North Afri- “We no longer are living an
can country. arrival crisis .... We live a cri-
Libya has become a ma- sis of deaths,” Vitorino said.
jor conduit for African mi- According to the IOM, up
grants and refugees hop- to June 19, there were 2,252
ing to reach Europe by arrivals in Italy and 1,151 in
crossing the Mediterranean French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he speaks to the media after a meeting United Malta, while at least 343
Sea. An airstrike on a deten- Nations and European officials with at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Monday, July 22, 2019. people died at sea.
tion center near the Libyan Associated Press German Foreign Minister
capital killed more than Under a deal with the EU, want a Europe that shares sence of some countries Heiko Maas voiced hope
50 migrants and wounded Libyan vessels apprehend burdens but are in favor of from the table, saying that earlier in the day that a so-
dozens of others earlier this refugees and migrants set- unity “when it’s about re- “we gain nothing by non- lution was on the horizon.
month. ting out from the coast and ceiving structural funds.” cooperation.” “The haggling about emer-
Macron met with U.N. High take them back. Absent from the closed- However, he reiterated the gency rescue in the Medi-
Commissioner for Refugees Macron announced that door meeting of EU interior law of the sea by which terranean must finally end,”
Filippo Grandi and the di- eight countries had formal- and foreign ministers was boats must be able to enter German Foreign Minister
rector general of the Inter- ly signed on to a French- Italy’s populist, anti-migrant the surest and closest port, Heiko Maas said after the
national Organization for German initiative to coop- interior minister, Matteo which for vessels coming ministerial meeting. “It is
Migration on Monday, after erate in a burden-sharing Salvini. He tweeted strong from Libya typically is Italy. really necessary that we
European ministers in Paris mechanism and 14 assent- disagreement Sunday with Salvini has barred private manage to put together a
tried to find agreement on ed to it. Southern Europe- letting France and Ger- aid ships that rescue mi- coalition of those who are
dealing with Europe-bound an countries like Italy and many determine the bloc’s grants from entering Italy’s prepared to help, and I
migrants who use Libya as Greece have complained refugee policy while na- ports, forcing NGOs to find think we came a step clos-
a stepping stone. for years that they shoulder tions like Italy are on the another country willing to er to that today.”
The European Union has a disproportionate respon- front line. allow their rescue boats to The UNHCR and IOM chiefs
spent hundreds of millions sibility for arriving migrants. “We intend to make our- dock and bartering among joined Macron in stressing
of euros to equip and train “Europe isn’t a la carte selves respected,” Salvini nations to divide up the mi- the need for rescue help
Libya’s coast guard and when it comes to solidar- declared in another tweet. grants onboard. from NGOs, which Italy has
to improve the conditions ity,” Macron said, with Without naming Italy, Ma- U.N. High Commissioner denounced, claiming they
of the detention centers. countries saying they don’t cron regretted the ab- Grandi said he was encour- help traffickers.q
New government for Spain hinges on late deal by left rivals

Associated Press tects the environment, that agreement,” Sánchez told
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s furthers women’s rights and United We Can’s parlia-
caretaker prime minister that strengthens Europe,” ment members.
acknowledged in his first Sánchez told the Madrid- “(But) it is up to us to
appeal to parliament Mon- based Congress of Depu- keep working and see this
day to win its backing to ties, the lower house of par- through. And then we will
form a government that he liament. But after outlining have the opportunity to
still lacks key votes to earn a battery of policies aimed move forward with that
its endorsement. primarily at combating un- which unites us, which are
The parliamentary de- employment, the impacts the promises of the left, a
bate arrived after a frantic of climate change and society of men and women
weekend of talks by Pedro the new digital economy, living in harmony with na-
Sánchez’s Socialists with and improving education, ture.” Sánchez’s Socialists
the far-left United We Can Sánchez waited to the very won the April 28 general
party to strike a last-minute end of his two-hour speech election with 123 seats but
deal to create a coalition to include a short message he still needs the support of
government. aimed at United We Can. United We Can’s 42 seats Spain’s caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez gives a speech
“I propose a government “We have seen that it is and other smaller parties to during the parliamentary debate at the Spanish parliament in
that is progressive, that pro- not easy for us to reach an stay in power.q Madrid, Spain, Monday, July 22, 2019. Associated Press