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France suggests Aquarius migrant ship dock in Malta: presidential source
PARIS, Sept 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – France is pushing for the Aquarius
rescue ship to dock in Malta and unload the 58 migrants on board, a source in
the presidential office said on Tuesday.
“We are clear on the fact that it shouldn’t spend four to five days at
sea going towards France or Spain or anywhere,” the source said on condition
of anonymity. “It needs to dock soon and it is close to Malta at the moment.”
France, which is reluctant to accept a request to take in the Aquarius in
Marseille, wants a “solution worked out with its European partners” along the
same lines as the one found in August when the boat docked in Malta.
The 141 migrants on board at the time were then distributed between
France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain.
The French presidency said it was seeking to uphold international law
under which the nearest safe country should take in the boat, pointing out
the ship was also close to Italy.
But Italy’s far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to
prevent the Aquarius ever entering his nation’s territory again and has
accused it of offering a “taxi service” for migrants from Libya to Europe.
The aide to French President Emmanuel Macron lambasted the Italian
government for its attitude to immigration and for blocking a new permanent
solution to manage the docking and distribution of migrants rescued by
charity boats in the Mediterranean.
“It’s not moving forward because those who criticise the lack of French
or European solidarity, starting with Italy, don’t want a permanent, durable
mechanism,” said the aide.
“Why? Because a number of politicians are living off the migrant crisis,
which is a political crisis,” he added.
BSS/AFP/RY/1928 hrs