“To establish, in a framework agreed at EU level, the certain rules for subjects, including private individuals, who operate in the Mediterranean”. This is what was agreed, according to what is learned from government sources involved in the migrant dossier, those present at the extraordinary EU Internal Affairs Council in Brussels.
At today’s Internal Affairs Council there was a “different” climate compared to that of recent weeks, in the plan of the “Ocean Viking” case, with the clash between Italy and the European Union on the reception of migrants, underlined the vice president of the Commission European Union responsible for migration, Margaritis Schinas, at the end of the extraordinary meeting of the interior ministers of the 27. “All Ministers” of the Interior, he assured, supported the European Commission’s plan with around twenty measures, including the reactivation of the voluntary relocation platform, laying the foundations for progress at the December meeting of the Council. This issue “must not be an issue that intoxicates politics, we must bring normality to the debate and continue to demonstrate that Europe is part of the solution,” Schinas said.
Responding to a question on the code of conduct of NGOs, the vice president explained that “NGO operations are not a taboo, they are not something that should not be discussed. They must be discussed because we are talking about people’s lives. NGO operations can’t happen in the wild, wild west, order is needed, a framework of cooperation, dialogue with Member States and NGOs”. “Commitment is needed for an orderly system. And I think this is possible,” she insisted. “If there is one thing we have learned, it is that the answers are necessarily European. We welcome the spirit of trust and cooperation in which ministers met – she said – It was different from the spirit of the ‘Ocean Viking’ crisis which allowed populist forces to claim that Europe is unable to deliver answers. Ministers today proved that this is not true.”
PLANTED – “Satisfaction” was expressed by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi. “There was the presentation of the plan proposed by the EU commission, there were converging discussions. The Plan retraces what Italy had always said, that is, strong action by Europe both to improve support for the countries of origin and transit of migratory flows and to develop containment of departures and improve repatriations”. The plan “was appreciated by everyone”, he added, explaining that “the issue was also addressed of sharing greater coordination of the Sar mechanisms that take place in the Mediterranean but not only as soon as possible”.
Have there been requests to Italy? “No, these are not the contexts in which this can happen. I stick to what was said in the meeting, there was a convergence of positions and appreciation”, said the interior minister who then, answering a question on what will happen when an NGO ship arrives next, he explained that “these weren’t individual cases or operational management, they are places where rules, methodologies and strategies are established”.
Meanwhile Paris has decided it will not welcome asylum seekers landed in Italy until Rome respects “maritime law” and will refuse to disembark ships loaded with migrants rescued in the Mediterranean. This was stated by the French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, speaking at the end of the extraordinary meeting of Interior ministers in Brussels. “If Italy does not welcome the boats, does not accept the maritime law and the safer port principle, there is no reason why the country that guarantees the relocations is the same one that welcomes the boats or directly welcomes migrants from Africa or from Asia,” he said on arriving in Brussels.
Speaking of the reception mechanism for asylum seekers, 3,500 of whom should have gone to France, Darmanin assured that “our hope is clearly to reactivate it, because it is the only one that makes it possible to divide the difficulties throughout Europe, and force the countries of first arrival, such as Italy, to activate the barriers we need and the registration of all foreigners arriving in the European area. This is currently not the case”, he added.
When asked about the tensions between Italy and France over migrants, Piantedosi nevertheless stated that relations with Paris are “very normal and very good”. “There was no need for a discussion – Piantedosi explained – I shook hands and cordially greeted all the participants, I registered cordiality and sharing from them and from everyone”.