Italy puts condition for migrants to disembark ship

By Senhan Bolleli

MADRID

Mateo Salvini, deputy premier and interior minister of Italy, said on Tuesday that he will only allow 47 irregular migrants on a rescue ship run by a Germany-based humanitarian group, the Sea Watch 3, to disembark in Italy if another country takes them in, local media reported.

“Only if they go to , which gave its flag to the Sea-Watch, or to Germany, the NGO's home country I will allow them to disembark in Italy. We have already received, and spent, too much on irregular migrants,” said Salvini to reporters.

The Sea Watch charity organization said earlier this month it had rescued from a rubber boat some 47 people -- including eight minors -- off Libya.

In August 2018, Salvini refused to take over 100 migrants saved by the Coast Guard to get off the Diciotti ship.

The UN Refugee Agency noted that in 2018 over 2,240 people either died or went missing at sea while attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.