Italy: Matteo Salvini, rejects unidentified illegal immigrants

Matteo Salvini, the strongman of the Italian government and leader of the League (far right) on Thursday called for the early elections as « quickly » as possible, decreeing the break-up of the ruling coalition and immediately sent a letter to the government of Norway, whose vessel Ocean Viking flies the flag.

Two important points for the League are the clarification of the early elections for the establishment of a stable government and the resolution of the problems of illegal emigration on the territory of Italy and in the waters of the Mediterranean.

The formation of a new parliamentary majority, which could include M5S and the left, seems unlikely given the weakening of both sides and their opposition to such a perspective.

Otherwise, early elections may be called for October: credited with 36 to 38% of voting intentions according to polls, the League should emerge largely victorious and govern almost alone, in alliance with the small party Fratelli d’Italia (far right).

However, President Sergio Mattarella regularly insists on the need to have a government in place in the autumn to prepare the budget, the first draft of which must be submitted to the European Union before the end of September.

Right and left opposition to the populist coalition called for a resignation of the head of government Giuseppe Conte, saying there was « no more majority » in Parliament.

The hugely popular Matteo Salvini, singled out as the instigator of the crisis, cast doubt over his intentions. Instead of starting off the tour of the beaches he had announced, he locked himself up with Mr. Conte for a long discussion.

In the last parliamentary vote on Wednesday before the summer break, Luigi di Maio’s 5-star Movement (anti-system) voted against the Lyon-Turin high-speed line project, strongly supported by the Matteo Salvini League (far right) , causing a political crisis.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who on Thursday blasted the populist coalition in Italy and is already campaigning for a likely election in the autumn, immediately sent a letter to the Norwegian government, including the ship Ocean Viking flies the flag.

« Italy is not legally bound, nor willing to host unidentified illegal immigrants, aboard the Ocean Viking, » he wrote. Oslo did not react immediately, but Norway’s Minister of Justice and Immigration Jøran Kallmyr (populist right) said on public television that migrants must be « brought back to Africa, Tunisia or in Libya « .

After the reaction of massive emigration to Europe, the Hungarian Prime Minister refused to accept on its territory the clandestine and the decision of the EU between 2016 and 2018, but today Norway and Italy , or Greece, approve of the idea of ​​Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban.

More than 80 migrants were rescued Saturday morning by the Ocean Viking off Libyan waters, according to a first count of Doctors Without Borders release and SOS Mediterranean to take over from Aquarius.

Friday’s rescue had already recovered 85 people including five women and four children.

The boat, a white rubber dinghy, could be spotted by the presence of a plane overflight repeated, said the head of mission of MSF, Jay Berger. « But the plane never tried to communicate with us, » he said. It was up to the north to follow the trajectory of the plane that the Ocean Viking was able to rescue the boat.

European forces planes regularly patrol over the central Mediterranean to spot boats leaving the Libyan coast, benefiting at this time from mild weather conditions. About 170 people, all from sub-Saharan Africa, are now on board the humanitarian ship that left Marseille last Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Italian minister sent back to Spain the migrants stranded aboard the humanitarian ship Open Arms, which is off the coast off the Italian island of Lampedusa.

On the night of Friday to Saturday, the Open Arms still collected in international waters 39 people, who joined the 121 migrants already on board, tweeted the founder of the NGO of the same name, Oscar Camps.
Friday morning, the American actor Richard Gere boarded to meet the crew and migrants, including thirty are minors.

« I have just arrived from Lampedusa, we brought as much water and food as possible for everyone on board, » the actor said in a video broadcast by the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms.

« Everyone is fine, » but they need « to join a free port, get off the boat and start a new life, » insisted the actor, who is scheduled to attend a press conference in Lampedusa on Saturday morning.

« I hope he tans a little and benefits from it, » said Salvini, referring to the actor, advising him to take the migrants to Ibiza.

On Thursday, the President of the European Parliament, the Italian David Sassoli, called for « urgent help and fair distribution » of the migrants on board the Open Arms, in a letter to the President of the European Union, Jean- Claude Juncker.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the European Commission confirmed that, unlike many previous cases, no mediation was under way from Brussels to find a solution, as no member country had called for it.

« However, we have […] contacted the member countries to ask them to show solidarity, » he added.

On 22 July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced an agreement between 14 European countries on a « solidarity mechanism » to distribute rescued migrants in the Mediterranean, provided they land in Italy.

On board the Ocean Viking too, rescue workers set up migrants for a stay likely to extend.

Each received an emergency kit prepared by MSF – dry clothing, blanket, protein biscuits, toothbrush … – before taking up his quarters in the containers built on the deck, one for men, the other for women and children.

Their walls are decorated with animal paintings and drawings. « When they saw this, many smiled, they realized that we were not a cargo ship that passed by chance but that we were there for them, » said an MSF official on board.

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