Interior Minister and Deputy
Premier Matteo Salvini said Monday that the NGO-run migrant
search-and-rescue ship Aquarius will not be allowed access to
Italy's ports.
"Aquarius NGO ship with another 141 immigrants on board:
German owned, rented by French NGO, foreign crew, in Maltese
waters, flying the flag of Gibraltar," Salvini said via Twitter.
"It can go where it wants, (but) not to Italy! Stop human
being traffickers and accomplices, #portsclosed and
#openhearts".
Salvini, the leader of the rightwing League party, has
spearheaded the new Italian government's tough stance on
migration which was seen NGO search-and-reascue vessels denied
access to Italy's ports.
The Aquarius, rented by the SOS Mediterranee NGO and managed
in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), was at the
centre of international spat in June when Italy and Malta both
refused to lot it dock.
It ended up having to go to Spain with over 600 migrants it
rescued transported with the help of an Italian escort.
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