Marco Minniti, Italy’s Interior Minister, has said that Italy should not be the only country in the European Union to accept migrants rescued from the central Mediterranean Sea.
The minister made the statement on Wednesday in Rome following reports that there was no progress in the meeting on migration he had with his French and German counterparts.
The meeting, held on Sunday in Paris, was also attended by EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.
Minniti also called on the EU to initiate discussion to redraft the rule for sea rescue missions operated by EU border agency Frontex.
According to him, the rule should make provision for migrants picked up at sea to be taken to ports other than Italy’s.
Minniti also stressed the need for the EU to adopt code of conduct for non-governmental organisations operating in the Mediterranean Sea to cooperate with the Libyan coast guard and Italian law-enforcement officers.
He said that some of the NGOs had been accused of colluding with Libyan smugglers and obstructing Italian investigations against traffickers.
The NGOs and other aid groups however denied the charges.
EU interior ministers are due to hold informal talks on Thursday in Tallinn, Eston
Italy Interior ministry officials claimed that over 85,000 migrants had landed on Italian shores since Jan. 1.
The officials say that figure is 18.5 per cent increase from the numbers of arrivals registered during the same period in 2016. (dpa/NAN)
ACO/AEA