Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus: "Few relocations", NGO ships "outside the rules"

A

the ministers of the interior of Italy, Malta and Cyprus and the minister of migration and asylum of

bursts into the European debate on rescues at sea and relocation of asylum seekers, which began with the disembarkation yesterday in Toulon from the ship Ocean Viking of 230 migrants rescued in the Strait of Sicily. 

A move that will inevitably affect what will be discussed both in the EU Council of Foreign Ministers scheduled for Monday in Brussels, for which Rome had already asked to put migration policies on the agenda, and on the sidelines of

the next week, if the meeting between the Prime Minister

and the French President

 A recomposition of the crisis that has opened between Italy and France is

and economic relations between the two sides of the Alps and the

cannot but weigh.

on the roof at gas prices and the Stability Pact.

is also seeking a mediating role between Rome and Paris .

Vice President

said she had "

" in the pipeline and asked for an

before the December European Council.

On Saturday evening the idea of ​​this summit became concrete, it could be held

and must be convened by the Czech presidency of the semester.

It will be decided in the next few days.

The declaration of Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Greece

The four countries

into Europe, through the central and eastern Mediterranean route", put pen to paper to "bear the heaviest burden of managing migratory flows in the Mediterranean, in full compliance with all international obligations and EU standards. "

“We have always strongly supported - they continue - the need to develop a new European policy on migration and asylum, truly inspired by the principles of solidarity and responsibility, and which is equally shared among all Member States”.

After the relocation agreement signed on 10 June in Brussels, “the number of

undertaken by participating Member States represents only a

of the actual number of irregular arrivals that we have received so far this year.

, especially at this time when our countries are increasingly facing migratory pressure that is putting a strain on our asylum and reception system ".

The declaration continues: "Pending an agreement on a burden-sharing mechanism that is effective, fair and permanent, we cannot subscribe to the idea that first entry countries are the only possible European landing points for immigrants. illegal, especially when this occurs in an uncoordinated way on the basis of

which act in total autonomy from the competent state authorities. We reiterate our position on the fact that

on

operations , which should be respected.

While fully respecting the competences of coastal states in accordance with international law, we believe that a serious discussion on how to better coordinate these operations in the Mediterranean is urgently needed, including ensuring that all such private vessels comply with relevant international conventions and other applicable rules, and that all flag States assume their responsibilities in accordance with their international obligations.

We ask the European Commission and the Presidency to take the necessary measures to initiate this discussion ". 

The possible German side

"Security, border control and the fight against human trafficking".

On these issues "European countries must act in the name of solidarity".

This is the position expressed by the Foreign Ministry

after receiving

, German president of the European People's Party yesterday at the foreign ministry.

At the end of the interview, Tajani tweeted: “

.” And it is precisely from Berlin that, before the joint declaration of the four Mediterranean countries, it seemed that a

could come to overcome the

An invitation that, at least so far, has not particularly caught on among the 27. In particular, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry told

" we

towards the countries that allow the arrival of migrants rescued at sea. This is also expressly valid for Italy, which has allowed the landing of three ships. We will continue in our support as long as Italy lives up to its responsibility for welcoming migrants rescued from the sea ".

Ocean Viking has left Toulon

The aid ship Ocean Viking has meanwhile left the military port of Toulon in southern France today and is currently located in the nearby port of La Seyne-sur-Mer, according to the local prefecture.

before leaving directly off the coast of Libya to resume his rescue operations in the central Mediterranean.

"We are not doing anything wrong, according to international law", reaffirmed the president of

.

"We await the decisions of Europe on what is happening," he added.

As for the 234 disembarked migrants, 189 (including 24 women and 13 minors) are now in the center for workers' settlements on the Giens peninsula, about twenty kilometers from Toulon, which yesterday was transformed into an "international waiting area".

This area is in reality an international territory created ad hoc so that migrants are not on French territory until their asylum applications are examined and judged.

Everyone has made it known that they want to apply.