Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni Refusing Rescued Migrants

As we have previously posted on the blog, the victory of Giorgia Meloni in Italy was expected to turn immigration policies to the right.

Today NPR reported on the newly-installed Italian Premier’s refusal to allow rescued migrants to disembark on the Italian shore.

NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli explains:

“[T]he new Italian government was just installed two weeks ago. It’s a far-right coalition, and it wants to send a message to irregular migrants. It claims migrants should seek asylum in the countries under whose flags the rescue ship sailed. In this case, it would be Norway and Germany. The government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has accused the charity Rescue ships of acting as a de facto taxi service for the many migrants from Africa and Asia trying to reach Europe and therefore allegedly encouraging human trafficking, although the U.N. has said that NGO rescues account for only 15% of migrants who arrive in Italy. . . . Now, the government has threatened the boats with $50,000 fines if they don’t leave the port of Catania. But the U.N. agencies for migration and refugees, as well as European Union officials, have called on Italy to allow all the migrants to be disembarked without delay.

IE