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dpa
Rome
German charity Sea-Watch rescued 65 migrants off the coast of Libya on Wednesday, but Italy’s hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini vowed not to let them reach Italian shores.
The migrants were picked up in international waters, about 55 kilometres north of the western port of Zuwara, and are all safe, a Sea-Watch spokesman said.
“I have just signed an INJUNCTION ORDER against them getting near Italian territorial waters. Our ports are, and remain, closed [to migrant rescue boats],” Salvini tweeted in response. Salvini, who leads the far-right League party, argues that a tough stance on migration is necessary to discourage illegal immigration from Africa.
He has also sharpened his anti-immigration rhetoric amid frantic campaigning for next week’s European Parliament elections, scheduled in Italy for May 26.
The Sea-Watch 3 ship, which sails under a Dutch flag, resumed rescue operations this month after being temporarily grounded due to Dutch authorities’ concerns over its compliance with safety regulations.
Rome
German charity Sea-Watch rescued 65 migrants off the coast of Libya on Wednesday, but Italy’s hardline Interior Minister Matteo Salvini vowed not to let them reach Italian shores.
The migrants were picked up in international waters, about 55 kilometres north of the western port of Zuwara, and are all safe, a Sea-Watch spokesman said.
“I have just signed an INJUNCTION ORDER against them getting near Italian territorial waters. Our ports are, and remain, closed [to migrant rescue boats],” Salvini tweeted in response. Salvini, who leads the far-right League party, argues that a tough stance on migration is necessary to discourage illegal immigration from Africa.
He has also sharpened his anti-immigration rhetoric amid frantic campaigning for next week’s European Parliament elections, scheduled in Italy for May 26.
The Sea-Watch 3 ship, which sails under a Dutch flag, resumed rescue operations this month after being temporarily grounded due to Dutch authorities’ concerns over its compliance with safety regulations.
