The regional administrative court
(TAR) in Palermo has suspended an ordinance from Sicily's
centre-right governor, Nello Musumeci, ordering the closure of
the island's migrant hotspots and reception centres for alleged
COVID concerns.
The TAR upheld a suit from the centre-left government in Rome
arguing that migrant policy is the prerogative of central
government.
Centre-right opposition leader Matteo Salvini called the court's
ruling "a disgrace".
Nationalist League party leader Salvini, who as former interior
minister operated a closed-ports policy for NGO migrant rescue
ships, urged Musumeci to "forge ahead" with his closure policy.
Musumeci, for his part, complained that the TAR "did not listen
to the region".
Meanwhile the quarantine ship Aurelia which had embarked 273
migrants including 60 COVID positives, was heading towards
Trapani.
Another quarantine ship, Azzurra, with 575 migrants including 15
positives, stayed at Cala Pisana, another port on the island.
Some 848 migrants left the island of Lampedusa south of Sicily
easing the huge pressure on migrant facilities there.
A pleased Musumeci reacted by saying: "evidently raising your
voice is useful".
Centre-right Governor Musumeci has been engaging in a tug of war
with Rome since last weekend.
Musumeci claims the regional government has precedence over the
national government in migrant policy.
The government in Rome contends the opposite.
Musumeci said he would forge ahead despite the TAR's decision.
"Let no one think that a ruling can stop our dutiful action of
preserving health," he said.
"It's up to us, and no one else.
"And we will go on down this path".
Salvini has said he would take legal action against the
government for abetting illegal immigration and accused the
interior ministry of hiding figures on migrant landings.
The centrist Italia Viva party, part of the governing coalition,
has filed a suit against Musumeci and Salvini accusing them of
falsely raising alarm and abuse of office, among other things.
Meanwhile the interior ministry came out with the latest migrant
landing figures.
It said that 17,504 landed in Italy from January 1 to August 25,
triple the number that arrived in the same period last year.
On Tuesday Musumeci said the first migrant hotspot in Sicily was
being emptied.
"This morning they started to empty the hotspot at Pozzallo,"
the governor said on Facebook.
Minister for the South Giuseppe Provenzano visited Sicily later
Tuesday and allayed concerns that migrants were driving up COVID
fears.
He urged Musumeci to show "institutional decorum" over the
migrant-COVID issue.
The governor issued an ordinance to clear all the island's
hotspots and migrant reception centres by midnight Tuesday, but
this aim was not achieved.
Several COVID cases have been reported at the hotspot on the
stepping stone island of Lampedusa south of Sicily, which is
closer to Africa than to Italy.
The small island's mayor has assured Salvini that all the
COVID-positive migrants there have been isolated in suitable
facilities.
Rightist nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia
Meloni said Thursday that Premier Giuseppe Conte had turned his
back on Sicily, saying the challenge to Musumeci's ordinance had
"betrayed" the island's inhabitants.
Salvini said Friday Musumeci should "hang tough".
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