Italy's far-rightInterior Minister Matteo Salvini said yesterday Italian ports were closed tohundreds of migrants rescued off Libya after a mother and newborn baby wereevacuated to Malta. The anti-immigration minister said that the Spanish NGOProactiva Open Arms had asked to allow the men, women, children and babiesrescued on Friday to disembark in Italy after Malta turned them away.
"My answeris clear: Italian ports are closed!" Salvini tweeted. "For thetraffickers of human beings and for those who help them, the fun is over."The NGO said a Maltese coastguard helicopter had taken a woman and her babyborn on a Libyan beach three days ago who were among those rescued at sea."We continue with 311 people on board, without port and in need ofsupplies," the NGO tweeted. Proactiva Open Arms said on Friday that it hadrescued more than 300 migrants from three vessels in difficulty, including men,women-some of them pregnant-children and babies.
The NGO posted avideo of some of those rescued "from a certain death at sea. If you couldfeel the cold in the images, it would be easier to understand the emergency. Noport to disembark and Malta's refusal to give us food. This isn't Christmas."The vessel started patrolling the Mediterranean with two other boats run bymigrant aid groups off the Libyan coast in late November. This area of theMediterranean has been the most deadly for migrants attempting the crossing toEurope. More than 1,300 migrants have perished trying to reach Italy or Maltasince the beginning of the year, according to the International Organizationfor Migration.
Aid groups havebeen sending rescue vessels into these waters despite vocal opposition fromSalvini. Accusing the groups of acting as a "taxi service" formigrants, he has denied them access to Italy's ports. Malta too has beenincreasingly unwilling to host rescue vessels. Another aid group meanwhile,Sea-Eye from Germany, announced Friday that one of its vessels was setting offfrom the southern Spanish port of Algeciras. The 18-strong crew includes formervolunteers who were on board the Aquarius, a rescue boat run by Doctors WithoutBorders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee. The two groups said they had to haltactivities earlier this month because of obstruction by some Europeancountries.
300 migrantsrescued
Meanwhile, amigrant group said it had rescued nearly 300 migrants off the coast of Libyaover the previous 24 hours. "More than 300 people safe on board the#OpenArms," the Proactiva Open Arms organization tweeted. The organizationadded that it had rescued people on board three vessels in difficulty in asingle day. The vessel started patrolling the Mediterranean with two otherboats run by migrant aid groups off the Libyan coast in late November.
This area of theMediterranean has been the most deadly for migrants attempting the crossing toEurope. More than 1,300 migrants have perished trying to reach Italy or Maltasince the beginning of the year, according to the International Organizationfor Migration. Aid groups have been sending rescue vessels into these watersdespite vocal opposition from Italy's far-right Interior Minister MatteoSalvini.
Accusing thegroups of acting as a "taxi service" for migrants, he has denied themaccess to the country's ports. Malta too, has been increasingly unwilling tohost rescue vessels. Another aid group meanwhile, Sea-Eye from Germany,announced Friday that one of its vessels was setting off from the southernSpanish port of Algeciras. The 18-strong crew includes former volunteers whowere on board the Aquarius, a rescue boat run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF)and SOS Mediterranee. The two groups said they had to halt activities earlierthis month because of obstruction by some European countries. - Agencies