Tags: EU | Europe | Migrants

Italy Focuses on Libya Mission to Manage Migrant Crisis

Italy Focuses on Libya Mission to Manage Migrant Crisis

Tuesday, 01 August 2017 08:38 AM EDT

MILAN (AP) — Italy is putting its hopes for managing the migrant crisis on a new, Libya-requested mission to support the North African nation's coast guard after suffering a rebuke by humanitarian groups.

Italian ministers were briefing parliamentary committees Tuesday on a mission approved by the Cabinet to deploy the navy to aid the Libyan coast guard in its territorial waters. A vote could come as early as Wednesday.

Premier Paolo Gentiloni says the mission could become a "turning point" in Italy's bid to manage the unrelenting flow of migrants across the Mediterranean Sea. The U.N. migration agency says 94,802 migrants have arrived in Italy this year through Sunday, up 11 percent over last year and 85 percent of the European total. They estimate that 2,221 people have drown this year alone on the central Mediterranean route.

Italy's bid to get 10 humanitarian groups to agree to new rules of conduct for rescuing people from the Mediterranean failed when at least four, including Doctors Without Borders, refused to sign on Monday.

Objections to the Italian demands included rejecting a provision permitting armed police on board the rescue ships and not being allowed to trans-board migrants to continue other rescues, but being forced back to port.

Doctors Without Borders general director Gabriele Eminente said her charity would continue to work in the Mediterranean "but at the moment, I don't understand what the failure to sign means."

The Italian government has said humanitarian groups who do not agree to the new rules could be refused access to Italian ports.

At least three groups accepted the government's rules: Save the Children, Malta's MOAS and the Spanish group Proactiva.

Italy drafted the code of conduct after prosecutors in Sicily alleged that some non-governmental organizations had been colluding with the smugglers who send boatloads of migrants out daily from Libya, for example by signaling their presence in one area of the sea.

Groups like Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders denied the allegations, and said they undermined their humanitarian work by creating a climate of mistrust.

© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Europe
Italy is putting its hopes for managing the migrant crisis on a new, Libya-requested mission to support the North African nation's coast guard after suffering a rebuke by humanitarian groups.Italian ministers were briefing parliamentary committees Tuesday on a mission...
EU,Europe,Migrants
341
2017-38-01
Tuesday, 01 August 2017 08:38 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
 
TOP

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved