Anger on social media over NGO 'taking migrant deliveries'

  The news that a ship run by German-based NGO Jugend Rettet is suspected of taking on migrants delivered to it by human traffickers in the Mediterranean has sparked shock and anger on social media.
    The NGO's Dutch-flagged Iuventa ship was confiscated on Wednesday at the Italian island of Lampedusa in relation to a probe in alleged aiding of illegal immigration.
    No members of the NGO have been charged so far and prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Trapani said that they believed Jugend Rettet's activists were working for humanitarian reasons and did not have direct relations with the traffickers.
    However, photos that seem to show an incident when migrants were not rescued at sea but were effectively handed over by traffickers sparked almost unanimous condemnation on social media, with many users blasting it as "shameful".
    Jugend Rettet put out a statement on Twitter Thursday saying that it was sorry it was unable to conduct search and rescue at the moment, adding that the "rescue of human life is and will be top priority".
    Jugend Rettet was one of several NGOs conducting rescues on the Mediterranean that this week refused to sign a new code of conduct at the interior ministry.

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Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA) threatens to attack Italian vessels in Libyan waters unlikely to materialise, but risks support mission

the Italian parliament approved legislation allowing Italian military vessels to patrol Libyan waters in order to stem the flow of migrants entering Italy. This is the latest in a series of initiatives and proposals by the Italian government to block the Mediterranean migrant route, including the recent introduction of a code of conduct curtailing the flexibility of aid groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to operate rescue vessels in the Mediterranean. In response to the latest measure to deploy the Italian navy, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA) – a militia associated with the Tobruk-based government in eastern Libya – warned that any non-commercial vessel entering Libyan waters without prior authorisation would be attacked.

Carthy calls on Coveney to intervene in case of Hunger-striking refugees in Greece

Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy has called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney to urgently intervene in the case of asylum seekers in Greece who have been on hunger strike for over a month. Bahrooz Arash, and Kozhin Hussein are demanding an end to arbitrary imprisonment and inhumane treatment including psychological and physical abuse of refugees in Moria detention centre. Matt Carthy said: “I have contacted the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Irish Embassy in Greece and Christos Stylianides EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis regarding the disturbing case of asylum seekers in Greece who have been on hunger strike for over a month now. “The Hunger strikers are seeking an end to arbitrary imprisonment and inhumane treatment including psychological and physical abuse of refugees in Moria detention centre. “Bahrooz Arash is now in a particularly bad condition having lost 16kgs since his hunger strike began. “Despite medical opinio...

Around 800 migrants storm fences to enter Spanish enclave in Africa

Around 800 migrants stormed border fences separating Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco to get into Europe, police said Thursday. The Guardia Civil said 602 migrants made it onto Spanish soil in a massive assault on high, barbed-wire fences shortly after dawn. Migrants cut holes in the fences and threw feces and quicklime, a skin irritant, at police officers trying to hold them back, the Guardia Civil said in a statement. They also threw stones at police vehicles, breaking windows, and hurled makeshift flamethrowers at police officers. The police statement said 16 migrants were taken to the hospital, while five of 15 police hurt were also hospitalized. The Spanish Red Cross said in a tweet that 132 migrants were hurt in the mass charge. Sub-Saharan Africans living illegally in Morocco try to get to Europe each year by climbing rows of 6-meter (2...

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