9 minutes agoItaly threatens the EU
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)Italy is warning it may cut off funds for the European Union if other states do not receive migrants who are trapped on a ship that has anchored at a port in Sicily, comments that Brussels describes as “threats to”. Envoys from EU states who met in Brussels on 24 August, [...]
Envoys from EU states, who have met in Brussels on 24 August, have failed to reach an agreement to share responsibility for the 150 migrants on board the Italian coast guard ship Diciotti, which was anchored in Catania on 20 August.
“We are willing to cut off the funds we give to the European Union”, if the “does not take over the problem, which we cannot solve for ourselves”, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Louis di Maio said.
Over 650 thousand migrants, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, have crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Italy since 2014, and the new government in Rome says it has been chosen to stop the flow of migrants.
Also, the Italian government says it will not allow any aid ships to land its passengers, if European states disagree to obtain and accommodate these people.
A European Commission spokesman said the solution to the Diciotti ship's case is “priorities”, but “non-constructural codes, let the threats... will not lead us to resolution”.
