A German amendment on NGOs to a proposed European Migration and Asylum Pact is a step backward. It led to Italy asking for time to consider the accord and make a counter-amendment, Premier Giorgia Meloni said Friday.
Rome is insisting that Germany take in the migrants rescued by the 10 or so German-flagged NGO rescue ships operating in the central Mediterranean, rather than offloading them in Italy. That is around half the total of such vessels working there.
“I had discussions with Chancellor (Olaf) Scholz yesterday. Germany came with some amendments, one in particular, the one concerning the NGOs, for us represents a step backward,” said Meloni on the sidelines of the Med9 summit in Malta.
“We asked for time, we could not decide yesterday like this”.
“I understand the position of the German government, but if they want to go back on the NGO rules, then we propose another amendment whereby the country responsible for the reception of migrants who are transported on an NGO’s ship is the country of the ship’s flag”, she said.
Nordio echoes Meloni’s call for “global war” on traffickers
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio echoed Premier Giorgia Meloni’s call for a “global war” against human traffickers. He was speaking at a conference marking the 20th anniversary of the coming into force of the Palermo Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime.
“Commitment to fighting migrant smuggling must unite countries, and collaboration with the UN system is fundamental,” Nordio told the conference in the Sicilian capital, in which 30 countries are taking part.
“Premier Meloni recalled this a few days ago at the UN (General Assembly). We must wage a total and global war with no compromises against human traffickers”.
He said this year’s surge in migrant-boat landings in Italy “must force serious reflection”. He also said that he would sign two treaties with his counterparts from Libya and Algeria on the sidelines of the conference.
