More than a hundred migrants who had been recently rescued in Malta's waters disembarked in a southern Italian port on Thursday, triggering a backlash from the opposition Lega party, national media reported
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2020) More than a hundred migrants who had been recently rescued in Malta's waters disembarked in a southern Italian port on Thursday, triggering a backlash from the opposition Lega party, national media reported.
Last week, ship Sea-Watch 3, owned by a German NGO, saved 119 migrants during three separate rescue missions in waters off Libya and Malta.
According to the ANSA news agency, all the passengers, including 40 unaccompanied minors, disembarked in San Cataldo, Taranto province.
After identification, the people will be transferred to reception centers. France, Germany, Ireland and Portugal have reportedly expressed readiness to take in part of migrants.
Amid the development, the right-wing Lega party has accused the incumbent government of turning Italy into "Europe's refugee camp," the agency said.
After a new cabinet came to power in September, Italy has somewhat softened its stance on migration. The previous government, led by Lega, used to deny NGO rescue boats permit to dock at Italian ports, accusing them of facilitating undocumented migration.
