By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis urged European leaders on Sunday to stop bickering over the fate of 49 migrants stuck aboard two humanitarian rescue ships on the Mediterranean and let them land at a safe port of call. With his comments in an address to 60,000 people in St. Peter's Square for the feast of the Epiphany, Francis jumped into … [Read more...]
Italy Accuses NGO Migrant Ship of Dumping Toxic Waste
By Davide Barbuscia ROME, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Italian magistrates on Tuesday accused the Doctors without Borders (MSF) charity of illegally dumping toxic waste at ports in southern Italy in what MSF said was an attempt to undermine migrant rescue efforts. Magistrates ordered the MSF-operated ship Aquarius, which has saved thousands of migrants since 2016, to be impounded … [Read more...]
Italy’s Closure to Rescue Ships Drives Up Sea Deaths -Think Tank
By Steve Scherer ROME, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Italy's closing of its ports to rescued migrants is driving up deaths at sea, an Italian think tank said on Monday, using calculations based on numbers collected by U.N. agencies. Since taking power in June, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who heads the far-right League party, has refused to allow charity rescue ships to dock in … [Read more...]
Portugal, Spain, France, Germany Agree to Take in Aquarius Ship Migrants
By Michel Rose PARIS/LISBON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - France, Portugal, Spain and Germany struck a deal on Tuesday to take in migrants from the Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius sailing off the coast of Malta, the French government said, after Italy refused to let the vessel dock. The agreement marks the second such co-operation between European countries since Italy's new … [Read more...]
Panama Revokes Registration of Last Migrant Rescue Ship in Central Mediterranean
MILAN, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The Panama Maritime Authority has revoked the registration of search and rescue ship Aquarius 2 in a move that means there will be no charity rescue ships off the Libyan coast in the near future unless the vessel can find a new flag to sail under. Aquarius 2, the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the Central Mediterranean area, … [Read more...]