Spain Accuses Italy of Breaking the Rules With Migrant Blockade

(Bloomberg) --

Spain accused Italy of breaking international rules with its failure to allow a ship carrying 107 migrants to dock at an Italian port.

Italy “is keeping its ports closed in breach of all the rules,” acting Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo said in an interview with Cadena Ser radio on Monday. “We are talking about people, about laws that everyone has to obey.”

The plight of the migrants on board the Open Arms, a ship owned by the Spanish non-governmental organization of the same name, sparked a diplomatic spat on Sunday when Spain said it would make Algeciras or other ports available to the vessel.

Even as Spain’s government on Sunday described Rome’s refusal to receive the vessel as “inconceivable,” Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said the Spanish offer vindicated his no-entry policy, showing that “he who perseveres, wins.”

As he’s done with other migrant-ship standoffs in the Mediterranean, Salvini has used the Open Arms case to portray himself as Europe’s most dogged foe of immigration. His anti-migrant League party is pushing for new elections that could see Salvini become Italy’s next premier. A vote to dissolve the government could come as soon as Tuesday.

The Open Arms is currently at sea off the Italian island of Lampedusa, as its crew warns that the situation for the refugees on board is becoming increasingly desperate.

“Unfortunately we can see who is making a political battle out of this,” said Calvo.

Spain is doing what it can to help the vessel and receives refugees crossing the Straits of Gibraltar on a daily basis, Calvo said. Spanish maritime rescue services have picked up 60,000 people since the start of 2018.

Open Arms has said it’s not feasible for the vessel to make a 950-mile journey across the Mediterranean to Algeciras. The ship requested to dock at Lampedusa after picking up the migrants 17 days ago, Open Arms said on its Twitter account Sunday. “If the worst happens, Europe and Salvini will be responsible,” the organization said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Charles Penty in Madrid at cpenty@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Jerrold Colten, Iain Rogers

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