The European Commission is calling for a quick solution to the plight of migrants who have been stuck on rescue ships off the Italian coast for days.
“Everything possible must be done to ensure that people stay on board these ships for as short a time as possible,” a Commission spokesperson said on Monday.
With a new right-wing government taking office, Italy is once again taking a tougher stance against ships seeking to dock with migrants rescued in the Mediterranean. These include a number of ships belonging to private aid organisations that have been waiting for the green light for days.
The European Commission said it was aware of four such ships with a total of 573 people on board, including three vessels in Italian territorial waters.
In line with international standards, everything possible must be done to ensure that people remain on board these ships for as short a time as possible, the spokesperson said on Monday.
The Commission has no authority to specify where migrants can dock, but it encourages “all relevant authorities” to work together to find a “suitable safe place” to enable disembarkation, she added.
The Commission hailed the fact that Italy allowed hundreds of women, children and injured people to go ashore on Sunday night. The Italian government only wants the most vulnerable persons to be admitted. The others will have to return to international waters with the rescue ships.
Rome is also stressing the responsibility of the rescue ships' flag states, such as Germany and Norway.
