A ship from the Italian coast guard arrived this morning in the Spanish port city of Valencia. There are 274 migrants on board who were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea a week ago by the crew of the rescue ship Aquarius. Over 350 other passengers are expected to arrive at the port later on today. They are on the Aquarius and an Italian navy ship.
Last Sunday morning Italy refused to allow the boat with more than six hundred immigrants in one of its ports. The government in Rome has asked Malta to include the immigrants, but Malta has also rejected the request and said that it will have nothing to do with this operation in which hundreds of refugees have been rescued from the sea.
Aid organizations would have taken 629 immigrants aboard the ship in several rescue operations. On board are, according to the aid organization SOS Méditerranée, at least 120 minors and several pregnant women.
In Italy, the right-wing populist Lega and the radical Five Star movement have recently formed a government coalition. Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini (Lega) has promised his constituents to limit immigration and therefor will not allow this boat in Italy.
The migrants are initially cared for by almost three hundred members of the Spanish Red Cross. A total of 2,300 people take part in the reception of the refugees.
Although Spain is being hospitable it guaranteed that it will treat this people like any other migrants. “They will be treated in the same way as all refugees,” said Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. “Each case will be examined separately.”
Migration is a world problem, if Italy refuses it’s not because its being inhumane, but it’s because its packed. Migration is not only the problem of Italy or Greece, it’s a world problem were in every State should lend a hand.
