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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 20 May 2019

UN tells Italy proposed decree violates migrants' rights

By NICOLE WINFIELD for public security rea- its legal code, which have
Associated Press sons. It foresees fines of up merely been updated.
ROME (AP) — The Italian to 5,500 euros ($6,145) for "The hope is that the au-
interior ministry vowed Sun- each migrant transported. thoritative U.N. dedicates
day to press ahead with The U.N. letter says the its energies to the humani-
a new decree formalizing measures would violate tarian emergency in Ven-
the closure of Italian ports migrants' human rights, ezuela rather than engage
to aid groups that rescue which are enshrined in in electoral campaigning
migrants, even after U.N. U.N. conventions that Italy in Italy," they said.
human rights investigators has signed. It said Italy is Meanwhile, British and
said it violated internation- obliged to rescue migrants French authorities have
al law. in distress and can't impede stopped 61 migrants who
Ministry officials said the se- others from doing so. And tried to cross the English
curity decree was "neces- it says that Libya can't be Channel in five small boats
sary and urgent" and was considered a safe port for over the weekend.
expected to be approved In this Wednesday April 17, 2019 file photo, The Proactiva's migrants rescued at sea, The British Home Office said
at a Cabinet meeting Mon- Open Arms rescue boat sits docked in Barcelona, Spain. particularly after the recent 52 migrants on four boats
day. Associated Press spike in fighting. were intercepted Saturday
In a May 15 letter to Italy's In a statement late Sunday, and Sunday off the Kent
government released Sat- ing more than 40 migrants where nationalist, anti-mi- the Italian foreign ministry Coast and handed to im-
urday, the U.N. High Com- from the German aid group grant parties are hoping said the letter carried no ju- migration officials. The mi-
missioner for Human Rights Sea-Watch remained off to make strong gains. Sal- ridical weight and suggest- grants said they were from
urged Italy to withdraw the the island of Lampedusa vini's League has soared in ed it was based on impre- Iraq and Iran.
decree, calling it "yet an- waiting for a port to disem- popularity in part because cise information. It noted The French maritime au-
other political attempt to bark its passengers. Sea- of his hard-line migration that since Jan. 1, 2018, Italy thority for the Channel and
criminalize search and res- Watch said it had flouted policy, which has involved has received eight such North Sea said a patrol ship
cue operations." Italy's ban and entered boosting the Libyan coast letters, whereas the U.S. has spotted a boat carrying
The decree "further intensi- Italian territorial waters on guard's ability to rescue received 30, Britain 16 and nine migrants Sunday off
fies the climate of hostility Saturday for humanitarian migrants and bring them France 12. the coast of Cape of Gris-
and xenophobia against reasons. back. Interior ministry officials told Nez. The nine were suffer-
migrants," said the letter, Interior Minister Matteo Sal- Among other provisions, journalists in a statement ing light hypothermia and
which was signed by sev- vini, a hard-line populist, the decree leaves it to the Sunday that Turkey and were handed over to bor-
eral U.N. human rights rap- proposed the decree be- interior minister to limit or North Korea similarly punish der police in Calais.
porteurs. fore the European Parlia- prohibit entry into Italian border violations and that Several of the migrants
It was issued as a ship carry- ment elections this week, territorial waters any ships Italy has long had fines in were children.q

Pro-EU rallies draw tens of

thousands before elections

lin, Cologne, Leipzig, Frank- Square, and the crowd and 10,000 in Hamburg.
furt, Munich and Hamburg. formed a heart with the The 751-seat European Par-
Organizers from more than message: "Romania loves liament has limited powers
70 groups support the Euro- Europe." but the poll is being seen as
pean Union, but also urge "We want to tell them that a test of strength both by
changes in migration poli- their vote matters and that right-wing, populist and na-
People form a heart shape during a pro-Europe event dubbed
"All for Europe" outside the government headquarters in Bucha- cy such as support for refu- it's very important to go out tionalist groups who want
rest, Romania, Sunday, May 19, 2019. gee rescue missions in the and vote, to express their curbs on immigration and
Associated Press Mediterranean Sea. selection and to show Eu- more authority for national
Other gatherings under the rope that Romania loves governments on the one
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) May 23-26 elections to the slogan "No to Hate, Yes to Europe," rally organizer hand, and on the other by
— Tens of thousands of European Parliament. Change" were planned in Catalina Hoparteanu said. center-left and center-left
demonstrators opposed to Marches in Germany were Budapest, Genoa, Utrecht, The dpa news agency said mainstream parties who
right-wing populism and held under the banner of Warsaw, Bucharest and organizers reported 20,000 support the EU as a bulwark
nationalism took to the "One Europe for Everyone: other cities. protesters in Berlin, while of cooperation among its
streets Sunday in a number Your Voice Against Nation- In Bucharest, thousands police estimated 10,000 in 28 member states, rule of
of European cities before alism" in cities including Ber- turned out at Victoria Munich, 14,000 in Frankfurt, law and democracy.q