Matteo Salvini: Italy’s ports are closed to migrant vessels, Italy will no longer be accomplice to the business of human trafficking and illegal immigration-Politico EU, 6/16/18

.
6/16/18, "Matteo Salvini: Italy’s ports are closed to migrant vessels," Politico.eu,| Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli

"Italy’s Matteo Salvini warned Saturday that no NGO-operated ships carrying migrants would be allowed to dock at Italian ports. 

“Italy no longer wants to be an accomplice of human traffickers and contribute to the business of illegal immigration,” Matteo Salvini, who leads the...League [political party], said in a Facebook post on Saturday. 

More than 600 migrants are expected to reach Italian shores on Saturday on board Italian, British and U.S. military ships, according to a statement by the Italian interior ministry cited by La Repubblica."...

[[Update: Yes, re: "US military ships," US did help traffickers: US Navy ship just happened to be off the coast of Libya on 6/12 where 24/7 you're going to see "migrants" in the water. US Navy picked up 40 or 41 migrants but didn't return them to Libya, tried to get Italy to take them, after 4 days gave them to Italy coast guard: 6/17/18, "The Latest: Migrant ship passengers represent 31 countries," AP, Valencia, Spain. And, 6/12/18, "US Navy rescues migrants at sea off coast of Libya," CNN, Ryan Browne. Earlier I noted: Re: US military ships, I couldn't find mention of this in the linked article Politico provides. Perhaps I missed it or the reference was in an earlier version and later removed.]

(continuing): "Salvini’s post specifically targeted NGO-operated two ships flying Dutch flags — which he described as “waiting for their load of human beings abandoned by smugglers” in Libyan waters — and insisted they would not be granted access to Italian ports.

“As a father and as a minister, they can attack and threaten me all they want, but I won’t give up and I’m doing it for everybody’s sake,” Salvini said.

A private German NGO working onboard one of the vessels hit back against Salvini, saying in a tweet “the fascists” were providing them with “advertising.” Salvini promptly replied the assertion was “crazy” and that the “good days” for migrants and charities are over.

The NGO later deleted its original tweet and said,”No, Matteo Salvini is of course not a fascist.”

5Star Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli also weighed in Saturday, tweeting that the Netherlands should “recall the two rescue vessels [because] they are not properly equipped to save lives.”"

...............................

Comment: Italy's new government respects the wishes of voters who elected them. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the US government.






...................