Europe: “Mediterranean Taxis” for People-Smugglers
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has accused European non-governmental organizations of coordinating with human trafficking mafias to pick up migrants off the coast of Libya and transport them to Italian ports.
Europe: “Mediterranean Taxis” for People-Smugglers
Soeren Kern | Gatestone Institute | August 27, 2019
Italian authorities have seized a Spanish migrant rescue ship after a three-week standoff between the Italian government and the Spanish charity operating the vessel.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini had refused to allow the Open Arms rescue ship, carrying more than 80 mostly African migrants, to dock in Italy. The refusal was in line with his crackdown on migrant smuggling that has effectively closed Italian ports to migrant rescue boats since June 2018.
Salvini has accused European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of coordinating with human trafficking mafias to pick up migrants off the coast of Libya and transport them to Italian ports. Italian officials have referred to the charity rescue boats as “Mediterranean taxis” for human traffickers.
