Posted on 06/26/2019 1:41:19 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The boat, with 42 rescued migrants aboard, had been in limbo for two weeks, stuck in the Mediterranean and closed off from Europe. No country had stepped forward to accept the vessel. And Italy had pointedly ordered the boat not to enter its territory, citing a forceful new law.
But Wednesday, the German humanitarian group operating the boat said it had run out of options. The captain turned the boat toward the Italian island of Lampedusa and headed to port.
As of early evening, the Sea-Watch 3 had stopped just outside of an Italian harbor, needing a ferry to depart before it could get closer. Police had lined up at the port, according to Italian media, which also speculated that migrants could be transferred on coast guard motorboats and brought ashore.
Italy’s hard-line anti-migration interior minister Matteo Salvini vowed fines, arrests and a boat seizure — and said other European countries should take responsibility for the migrants.
The emerging standoff Wednesday reflects Europe’s struggle to contend with migration across the Mediterranean, even as that flow has greatly diminished from the historic heights in 2015 and 2016. Over the past year, boats that have rescued migrants have regularly found themselves stranded at sea as European countries arm-wrestle over who holds responsibility.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Take them back to Libya. There's your option. Too dangerous, you say? Too bad.
Lots of African countries have ports.
Seizing the boat AND taking them back might be a good policy. It dis-incentivizes the illegals, the boat owner, and the expedition funder.
That busybody ‘humanitarian group’ should take them back where they were picked up, or call Angela Merkel.
They put these people into this situation. Nobody wants more of them right now, if ever.
Sink it.
Also, the ship should be scuttled to prevent this from happening again.
Yes seize the boat.
10,000 yards and closing. Ready torpedo tube 1 and 2 and wait for my command!
Of course it’s the Germans! They can’t go from one extreme without going to the other extreme. There seems to be no middle ground for these folks.
Sounds like a job for Italian Marines.
Board the boat, arrest the crew, sail it back to Libya.
This. Throw the captain in prison, and possibly the crew too, take the boat back to where it picked them up, and fine the owners of the boat!
Sink it.
No.
Scuttle the boat.
Nuke it from orbit. It is the only reasonable option.
He should head to the middle of the ocean and sink the ship with himself and everyone in it.
Sink it.
Things started going downhill when the Ialian town of Verona of Shakespeare fame, passed an ordinance banning “ethnic food” stalls and restaurants within its confines.
Absolutely. This is no different than dealing with drug smugglers. These people ARE smugglers in every sense of the word; the only difference is what they are smuggling. Lock them up, seize the boat, and send the “refugees” back to where they came from (or throw them into the sea, I’m flexible).
Send it to Germany - angela’s problem.
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