01-10-2019, 11:52 PM
*** 11-Jan-19 World View -- Malta takes in 49 migrants after deal with EU that infuriates Italy
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Malta takes in 49 migrants after deal with EU that infuriates Italy
****
![[Image: g190110b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g190110b.jpg)
Migrants sit on the deck of the Sea Eye rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea (AP)
At total of 49 migrants in two rescue boats, including a baby and
several children, who had been rescued weeks ago in the Mediterranean
Sea as they traveled in dinghies from Libya trying to reach Europe,
will be permitted to disembark in the island nation of Malta. The two
rescue ships are the German vessel Sea Watch 3 and the Dutch boat Sea
Eye.
For years, Malta has refused to take in migrants from rescue boats,
forcing the boats to continue northward to Italy. This infuriated the
Italians, who were receiving thousands of migrants that they were
forced to take in under international and European law.
However, Italy has been closing its ports to rescue ships in the last
year, and in November, Italy's parliament passed a tough anti-migrant
law put forth by Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. The law
restricts the conditions under which migrants will be permitted to
stay in Italy, and makes it much easier to deport them.
The deal reached between Malta and the EU also took into account the
fate of 249 migrants already in Malta, having been rescued in
December. The 298 migrants will be distributed to other EU countries
under the deal.
176 would be sent to Germany, France, Portugal, Ireland, Romania,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy. Another 78 will be allowed to
stay in Malta, while 44 Bangladeshi migrants will be repatriated.
In a tweet, Sea Watch International said: "The EU decided to release
their 49 hostages. After 19 days at sea, our guests will finally reach
a safe port. This represents a confession of state failure, policy
must not be made at the expense of people in distress."
However, Italy's interior minister Salvini refused to authorize the
deal, and said that Italy would not take in any additional migrants.
Salvini said that other European countries had not fulfilled their
previous commitments to accept migrants who had already reached Italy.
In July 2018, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and Malta agreed to
each take in 50 of around 450 migrants disembarked in Sicily by the
Italian coastguard vessel Diciotti after being rescued at sea.
According to Salvini, France has taken its 50, but Germany only 23,
Spain 21, Portugal 19 and Malta none. Ireland, which said it would
take in 20, has received 16 migrants, he said.
This resulting in name-calling between Salvini and Malta. The
government of Malta disputed Salvini's figures, expressing "disdain
and surprise at the inaccurate allegations by Minister Salvini."
Salvini responded: “We’re not going to take any lessons from Malta,
which closed its eyes for years so that boats could head for Italy.
The music has changed, you can only come to Italy if you have a
permit. We’ve already taken in too many, it’s time for others to wake
up." AFP (29-Nov-2018) and Al Jazeera and Guardian (London) and Reuters
****
**** Malta - EU migrant deal splits Italy's government
****
Readers may recall that when Italy held nationwide elections in March
of last year, the elections failed to produce a majority party. Two
particularly bitter rivals were the left-wing Five Star Movement
(M5S), led by Luigi Di Maio, and the right-wing La Lega (The League),
led by Matteo Salvini. The two parties received a combined total of
49% of the vote and, incredibly, these two parties got together and
formed a governing coalition.
They're far apart on many issues, but they do share similar attitudes
on three issues: a nationalistic anti-euro attitude, a xenophobic
anti-immigrant attitude, and a complete lack of fiscal discipline.
Much to everyone's surprise, they formed a governing coalition based
on these three principles. And after a lengthy period of negotiation,
Di Maio and Salvini decided that neither of them could be prime
minister, and they selected a technocrat, Giuseppe Conte, to fill that
role.
Wednesday's deal between Malta and the EU provoked something of a
crisis in this governing coalition. Salvini refused to authorize the
deal, or to accept any more migrants. But Salvini, Di Miao and Conte
had an all-night working session on Wednesday evening, and Di Maio
sided with Conte against Salvini to accept the deal, which required
Italy to take in ten migrants.
Salvini was infuriated by that decision:
<QUOTE>"There is convergence within the government on a hard
line: ports closed, fight against smugglers and NGOs,” Salvini
said on Thursday.
“And I add that any new arrival must not cost Italian citizens a
cent. [I]t’s the interior ministry that handles
immigration."<END QUOTE>
A compromise was agreed by which Italy’s Waldensian Evangelical Church
would take in the 10 migrants.
In 2015, millions of migrants entered Greece. After the "Balkan
route" was closed, most migrants entered Europe through Italy in 2016
and 2017. Italy's government was begging the other EU states to take
their fair share of migrants, but the pleas fell mostly on deaf ears.
In 2018, the new government shut Italy's ports. This caused a huge
international outcry that continues to this day, but now most migrants
enter Europe from Morocco through Spain. AFP and The Local (Italy) and El Pais (28-Nov-2018)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, European Commission, Italy, Malta,
Five-Star Movement, M5S, Luigi Di Maio,
La Lega, The (Northern) League, Matteo Salvini.
Giuseppe Conte, Sea Watch 3, Sea Eye,
Bangladesh, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Ireland,
Romania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Waldensian Evangelical Church
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Malta takes in 49 migrants after deal with EU that infuriates Italy
- Malta - EU migrant deal splits Italy's government
****
**** Malta takes in 49 migrants after deal with EU that infuriates Italy
****
Migrants sit on the deck of the Sea Eye rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea (AP)
At total of 49 migrants in two rescue boats, including a baby and
several children, who had been rescued weeks ago in the Mediterranean
Sea as they traveled in dinghies from Libya trying to reach Europe,
will be permitted to disembark in the island nation of Malta. The two
rescue ships are the German vessel Sea Watch 3 and the Dutch boat Sea
Eye.
For years, Malta has refused to take in migrants from rescue boats,
forcing the boats to continue northward to Italy. This infuriated the
Italians, who were receiving thousands of migrants that they were
forced to take in under international and European law.
However, Italy has been closing its ports to rescue ships in the last
year, and in November, Italy's parliament passed a tough anti-migrant
law put forth by Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. The law
restricts the conditions under which migrants will be permitted to
stay in Italy, and makes it much easier to deport them.
The deal reached between Malta and the EU also took into account the
fate of 249 migrants already in Malta, having been rescued in
December. The 298 migrants will be distributed to other EU countries
under the deal.
176 would be sent to Germany, France, Portugal, Ireland, Romania,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy. Another 78 will be allowed to
stay in Malta, while 44 Bangladeshi migrants will be repatriated.
In a tweet, Sea Watch International said: "The EU decided to release
their 49 hostages. After 19 days at sea, our guests will finally reach
a safe port. This represents a confession of state failure, policy
must not be made at the expense of people in distress."
However, Italy's interior minister Salvini refused to authorize the
deal, and said that Italy would not take in any additional migrants.
Salvini said that other European countries had not fulfilled their
previous commitments to accept migrants who had already reached Italy.
In July 2018, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and Malta agreed to
each take in 50 of around 450 migrants disembarked in Sicily by the
Italian coastguard vessel Diciotti after being rescued at sea.
According to Salvini, France has taken its 50, but Germany only 23,
Spain 21, Portugal 19 and Malta none. Ireland, which said it would
take in 20, has received 16 migrants, he said.
This resulting in name-calling between Salvini and Malta. The
government of Malta disputed Salvini's figures, expressing "disdain
and surprise at the inaccurate allegations by Minister Salvini."
Salvini responded: “We’re not going to take any lessons from Malta,
which closed its eyes for years so that boats could head for Italy.
The music has changed, you can only come to Italy if you have a
permit. We’ve already taken in too many, it’s time for others to wake
up." AFP (29-Nov-2018) and Al Jazeera and Guardian (London) and Reuters
****
**** Malta - EU migrant deal splits Italy's government
****
Readers may recall that when Italy held nationwide elections in March
of last year, the elections failed to produce a majority party. Two
particularly bitter rivals were the left-wing Five Star Movement
(M5S), led by Luigi Di Maio, and the right-wing La Lega (The League),
led by Matteo Salvini. The two parties received a combined total of
49% of the vote and, incredibly, these two parties got together and
formed a governing coalition.
They're far apart on many issues, but they do share similar attitudes
on three issues: a nationalistic anti-euro attitude, a xenophobic
anti-immigrant attitude, and a complete lack of fiscal discipline.
Much to everyone's surprise, they formed a governing coalition based
on these three principles. And after a lengthy period of negotiation,
Di Maio and Salvini decided that neither of them could be prime
minister, and they selected a technocrat, Giuseppe Conte, to fill that
role.
Wednesday's deal between Malta and the EU provoked something of a
crisis in this governing coalition. Salvini refused to authorize the
deal, or to accept any more migrants. But Salvini, Di Miao and Conte
had an all-night working session on Wednesday evening, and Di Maio
sided with Conte against Salvini to accept the deal, which required
Italy to take in ten migrants.
Salvini was infuriated by that decision:
<QUOTE>"There is convergence within the government on a hard
line: ports closed, fight against smugglers and NGOs,” Salvini
said on Thursday.
“And I add that any new arrival must not cost Italian citizens a
cent. [I]t’s the interior ministry that handles
immigration."<END QUOTE>
A compromise was agreed by which Italy’s Waldensian Evangelical Church
would take in the 10 migrants.
In 2015, millions of migrants entered Greece. After the "Balkan
route" was closed, most migrants entered Europe through Italy in 2016
and 2017. Italy's government was begging the other EU states to take
their fair share of migrants, but the pleas fell mostly on deaf ears.
In 2018, the new government shut Italy's ports. This caused a huge
international outcry that continues to this day, but now most migrants
enter Europe from Morocco through Spain. AFP and The Local (Italy) and El Pais (28-Nov-2018)
Related Articles
- Italy threatens EU with immigration fight to get budget concessions (09-Aug-2018)
- Italy's migration policy opens up battle lines within the EU (17-Jun-2018)
- Spain's offer to take in Aquarius migrants is rejected as dangerous to migrants (12-Jun-2018)
- EU migrant crisis moves to Italy as Austria begins closing border (13-Apr-2016)
- France, Italy have bitter feud over migrants as quota system collapses (16-Jun-2015)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, European Commission, Italy, Malta,
Five-Star Movement, M5S, Luigi Di Maio,
La Lega, The (Northern) League, Matteo Salvini.
Giuseppe Conte, Sea Watch 3, Sea Eye,
Bangladesh, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Ireland,
Romania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Waldensian Evangelical Church
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
