New migrants situation leads to new dispute between Malta and Italy as tweets fly in Italian between the countries’ two Interior Ministers
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Times of Malta: An NGO boat with around 50 rescued migrants on board should head to Malta because it provided the closest port, Italy’s right-wing deputy prime minister said on Saturday, sparking a fresh diplomatic spat between the neighbouring countries.
But a Maltese government clarified at once that the closest port to the vessel was actually Lampedusa, which falls under Italy’s responsibility.
@matteosalvinimi solo per chiarire che intervento #OpenArms e’ accaduto in SRR Libica tra Libia e Lampedusa, Italia. La smetta di diffondere notizie scorrette tirando in ballo Malta senza alcuna ragione.Publiciamo mappa cosi tutti possono constatare.Questi sono fatti non opinioni pic.twitter.com/mLvCk4w456
“Italy rejected the boat when it is legally obliged to take responsibility,” the spokesman told Times of Malta.
The dispute came to the fore after Mr Salvini tweeted that the Spanish-flagged Open Arms vessel had rescued the migrants in Libya’s search and rescue waters.
La nave Open Arms, di Ong spagnola con bandiera spagnola, si è lanciata poco fa verso un barcone e, prima dell’intervento di una motovedetta Libica in zona, ha in tutta fretta imbarcato una cinquantina di immigrati a bordo. pic.twitter.com/FiPjeVP2NU
