Italy’s stance against NGOs trafficking migrants from African coastal waters, has remained firm. Its ports will be closed to the 310 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, reported Le Figaro.
The tweet of Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Minister of the Interior, is unambiguous: “My answer is clear: the Italian ports are closed! And to add: For the traffickers of human beings and for those who help them, the party is over.”
The minister said that the NGO’s request had been submitted to Italy after a negative response from Malta.
🔴AGGIORNAMENTO
Come promesso questa mattina, in Italia non sbarcano: la nave Ong #OpenArms, con 311 immigrati a bordo, è diretta verso la Spagna, buon viaggio.
Sappiano i trafficanti di uomini e i loro complici che i nostri porti sono chiusi, STOP!#dalleparoleaifatti🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/pjjYa2JJrB— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) December 22, 2018
Not only Malta and Italy have refused the vessel entry, but France, Tunisia and Libya have not responded to docking requests.
Malta said crew had told officials they had enough provisions for two days, the BBC reported.
Among the migrants, a woman and her baby, born on a Libyan beach, were moved to Malta by a helicopter of the coastguard, Proactiva Open Arms has reported. A Maltese spokesman noted in a statement that the airlift of the mother and baby were not part of Malta’s legal obligations, because the migrants were rescued on Friday in waters supervised by Libya.
“We stay with 311 people on board, without a port where we can dock, and in need of provisions,” the NGO complained.
According to the NGO, the migrants had been rescued from “certain death at sea” and said Malta had refused to provide food, adding “this isn’t Christmas”.
Proactiva’s founder Oscar Camps, said future generations would be “ashamed” of Salvini because he had tweeted a picture of a simple Italian lunch earlier in a message unrelated to the NGO vessel.
Previously, Salvini has called the NGOs operating in off the coast of Libya a “taxi” service for illegals.
According to reports, Proactiva is currently heading towards the port of Algeciras in southern Spain. A Spanish government statement confirmed that the ship had been allowed to dock in Spain “due to the refusal or lack of response from the nearest ports”.
Another Proactiva vessel is on its way with more supplies, since the journey will take five or six days.
Meanwhile, a German NGO, Sea-Watch, said it had rescued 33 migrants at sea and they are appealing for a port to allow them to dock.
A United Nations report on Thursday said that migrants are subjected to “unimaginable horrors” when they enter Libya, headed for the Mediterranean and Europe.
“There is a local and international failure to handle this hidden human calamity that continues to take place in Libya,” said Ghassan Salame, the head of the UN mission in Libya UNSMIL.
The climate of lawlessness in Libya provides fertile ground for illicit activities, leaving migrants and refugees “at the mercy of countless predators who view them as commodities to be exploited and extorted,” the report noted.