Italy seizes blocked NGO migrant ship
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Italy seized control Tuesday of an NGO ship it had prevented from landing nearly 50 migrants picked up off the Libyan coast, the interior ministry said. The authorities «are in the process of taking control of the Mare Jonio, escorting the boat into thItaly seizes blocked NGO migrant ship
Italy seized control Tuesday of an NGO ship it had prevented from landing nearly 50 migrants picked up off the Libyan coast, the interior ministry said. The authorities «are in the process of taking control of the Mare Jonio, escorting the boat into the (southern) port of Lampedusa,» it said. «Questioning of the crew could following in the next few hours,» it added. Hardline Interior Minister said the action showed «that from here on in Italy has a government which defends its borders and enforces respect of its laws, above all as regards human traffickers.» Salvini had on Monday reiterated that Italy's ports were «closed» to new migrant arrivals, insisting his hardline approach to asylum seekers since last summer has effectively stopped departures from crisis-hit Libya. He said the Italian-flagged Mare Jonio had not carried out a rescue operation but instead «aided illegal immigration». «They can be cared for, nourished, clothed, whatever you like, but they won't get permission from me to step foot in Italy.» As the debate raged over the ship's fate, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said another dinghy with an unknown number of migrants on board had sunk off... Read more