Italy threatens to deny entry to foreign ships to force migration action

Some 12,000 migrants have arrived in Italy in the past 48 hours.

Italy could stop foreign ships from docking in its ports in a bid to force the European Commission to do something about the large numbers of migrants arriving on its shores, press agency ANSA reported Wednesday.

According to the report, which cited unnamed sources, Italy’s ambassador to the EU Maurizio Massari will tell European migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos that Italy needs help and could deny docking rights to ships that have rescued migrants that are flying non-Italian flags.

More than 10,000 asylum seekers arrived in the country between Saturday and Tuesday, and another 12,000 have arrived in the past 48 hours.

The move could affect the work of NGOs and non-Italian merchant ships performing rescue operations in the Mediterranean, but might not be allowed under Italian and EU law.

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