By Jamie Prentis.
Tunis, 2 July 2017:
Italy’s interior minister Marco Minniti has accused other European states of “looking the other way” following Italian threats to block vessels from other countries holding migrants docking at its ports.
Minniti said Italy is under enormous pressure from the wave of migrants arriving on its shores and needed greater help. Tonight, the French, Italian and German interior minsters met for dinner in Paris to discuss a “coordinated approach” to help Italy deal the crisis.
Little has been revealed about their meetings. However, Italian Prime Minister Paulo Gentiloni has warned that the ever-growing numbers migrants arriving in Italy were testing its receptions systems, a sentiment reiterated by the President Sergio Mattarella.
In the last week alone, roughly 12,000 migrants arrived in Italy. This has clearly boosted Italy’s frustrations. This year the UN estimates over 2,000 people have died or gone missing trying to cross of the Mediterranean.
Yesterday, 650 migrants were rescued and brought to the Sicilian port of Catania.
