The director of Human Rights
Watch for Europe and central Asia, Judith Sunderland, on
Wednesday said in an article on the Aquarius migrant rescue ship
that "the the current Italian government's inhuman approach to
refugees and migrants has touched the bottom once more."
Sunderland repeated claims that the government, led by
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, put pressure on Panama to stop
the ship using its flag.
The Aquarius, operated by SOS Méditerranée and Doctors
Without Borders, was rejected by Italy and sailed on for three
days before before finding a landing spot in Malta.
Its 58 migrants will be distributed among France, Spain,
Portugal and Germany.
Salvini responded to Sunderland by saying that "the insults
of the leftwing do-gooders are all medals".
He said "Italy has received in the last few years 700,000
immigrants from all over the world, and yet we keep getting
unwanted lectures on reception.
"The migrant smugglers are inhuman".
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