Refugees country: Salvini wants penalties for rescuers

The refugee ship Mare Jonio could now create in the port of Lampedusa. Italy's Minister of the interior, Salvini has come around - probably because he now wants to bring the helper before the court.

Jörg Seisselberg, ARD Studio Rome

It was long after dark when the rescue ship Mare Jonio yesterday evening in the port of Lampedusa import. A days long war of nerves with the Italian government, as international rescue had to make initiatives in the past months, has remained to the Italians of the Non-government organisation Mediterranea saves.

And, although the Minister of the interior Matteo Salvini had smoked a few hours earlier, the refugees could not Land, but would have to return to Libya: "There you can receive medical treatment, and clothed, be fed", had said Salvini. "That's where you get all the necessary support. But on Italian soil, you will have to put up with my permission no feet."

Prosecutor

At the end gave Salvini but then the green light - probably because it is in the spirit of the Minister of the interior is that the rescuers have to face possible court action. The Prosecutor's office in Agrigento has, before the Einfahrteinlaubnis was granted, a preliminary investigation due to the possibility of favouring illegal immigration initiated, first against an Unknown. This was not true, praised the Minister of the interior in the evening on Twitter, literally Salvini wrote: "Who has made mistakes and must pay for it".

Italy's interior Minister Matteo Salvini travels in the immigration policy of a hard line.

The Lega politician accuses the rescuers, they would have taken the 49 refugees in the Libyan rescue zone on Board, the instructions of the present Libyan coast guard and the people, in spite of a ban in Italian waters.

Salvini's new Directive on Maritime search and rescue

the leaders of The Non-government organisation Mediterranea, in contrast, show in the evening, relieved. Alessandra Sciurba, who participated in the rescue operation, said after the arrival in Lampedusa: "We are very happy that we saved these people twice. We saved you from distress, and we have to prevent them from being brought back to Libya, where they enough have suffered."

The rescue vessel is for the time being, seized by the Italian authorities. A controversial point in the ongoing investigation Against the persons responsible for the Non-government organization could be used for a new Directive on Maritime search and rescue. Salvini had it yesterday almost overnight - in parallel with the known the If to be issued, Mare Jonio -.

According to this new Directive, jeopardize Responsible of auxiliary ships, the state's order and security, if you are shooting refugees in the emergency zones of other countries and to Italy. Anyone who violates the new policy, the prison is threatening for human smuggling. Speaker of Mediterranea said after the arrival of the ship in Lampedusa, you would have of the newly adopted Directive no knowledge.