Dozens of migrants on a private German rescue ship have been landed in Italy by the authorities. Interior Minister Salvini was apparently surprised by this – and reacts angrily.
In motorboats, 47 boat people have been brought by the civilian German rescue ship „Sea Watch 3“ on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The financial police seized the ship. The newspaper „La Repubblica“ showed video footage of migrants coming ashore from a police boat in the evening in the port of Lampedusa.
The action was apparently against the will of Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. His ministry said in the afternoon that judges could order whatever they wanted, but the ministry would prevent people from getting off the „illegal ship“. Salvini tweeted angrily, „As far as I’m concerned, even if the ship is confiscated, there should be NO landing, and anyone who disagrees should take responsibility.“ The right-wing Salvini has tightened his anti-migrants rhetoric before next Sunday’s EU election.
„There is suicidal“
The activists of „Sea-Watch“ cheered against it. „The ports are open! The Italian authorities have allowed the landing of our remaining guests,“ the organization wrote on Sunday evening on Twitter. „We are glad that the Constitution in Italy has more power than a minister who, according to the UN, breaks the law, thanks to the Italian people,“ said the aid organization.
The „Sea-Watch 3“ had saved a total of 65 migrants last Wednesday off the coast of Libya. On Saturday, the ship was then apparently entered without permission in Italian territorial waters. First, 18 people, including children with their parents and a sick man, were allowed to land on Lampedusa. The others had to stay on the rescue ship. The spokesman for the aid organization, Ruben Neugebauer, had warned on Saturday that the situation on the ship had come to a head. „There is a risk of suicide,“ he said. The crew said many of the rescued people suffered from fatigue, dehydration and seasickness.
