Interior Minister Matteo Salvini
on Tuesday barred the German-flagged migrant rescue ship
Eleonore from entering Italian waters with over 100 migrants it
picked up off Libya on Monday.
Anti-migrant Euroskeptic League party leader Salvini has
closed Italy's ports to NGO-run migrant rescue ships and there
have been several standoffs which have ended with the European
Union agreeing to take the migrants.
The Eleonore is run by German NGO Lifeline.
Salvini signed a decree prohibiting the entry, transit and
stopping of the Eleonore in Italian waters.
The measure has already been sent to the Italian defence and
transport ministers.
The ship is carrying 101 migrants it rescued from a sinking
dinghy off Libya.
Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta later signed a decree
banning the ship from entering Italian waters.
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli followed suit.
The interior ministry said "the government has recovered its
unity" on banning the Eleonore.
Democratic Party (PD) bigwig Matteo Orfini said "Trenta is
with Salvini and (outgoing Premier Giuseppe) Conte is silent",
stressing that Conte must disown "these inhuman policies" if he
is to lead a possible new M5S-PD government.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
