The ship of the NGO Lifeline flying the Dutch flag with a foreign crew, in contravention of the requests of the Italian and Libyan coastguards, embarked, in Libyan waters, 242 illegal immigrants. The Lifeline, to date is considered a ghost ship because it has turned off the "transponder", the satellite instrument that indicates the reference data of the boats for days. The Minister of the Interior and Transport Toninelli expressed all their disappointment. Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli asked the Italian Coast Guard to launch a flag investigation on the NGO Lifeline ship. We have nothing against NGOs but respect for the law is fundamental, especially when it comes to human lives ”.
Salvini on facebook, on the other hand, said: “is it Dutch or is it a ghost ship? We await an answer. In any case, Italy sees this ship only in postcards, but not because Matteo Salvini is ugly, bad and selfish: if there are rules, they must be respected and you don't play with human lives. Have you done an act of force by not listening to the Italian and Libyan authorities? Well, you take this load of human beings to Holland, thundered the leader of the League. Does the ship fly the Dutch flag? Perfect: I think they will be extremely available to indulge your generosity and your kindness. Take a tour a bit wide, Italian ports Nisba ”. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said this in a live Facebook. “I am really angry: of being made fun of, not as a minister but as an Italian, I am fed up.
The Italian Coast Guard wrote to this NGO 'don't move, the Libyan authorities will think about it', the Libyan Coast Guard wrote 'don't move, we'll take care of it' and what did these unfortunates do? Even putting the lives of migrants at risk, he did not listen to the Italian or Libyan authorities. It intervened forcefully to load the precious quantity of human beings, human flesh, on board. Why are they good? Do you leave me the doubt that they do not do it because they are good but for interest? Otherwise they would not have intervened with the Libyan patrol boats nearby ”.
"We await the response from the Dutch government, Salvini said, we sent an official note from the foreign minister to the Dutch embassy, dated June 16, 2018". "No reply has yet been received".
Then always on Facebook Salvini talked about migrants in general, referring to France and Spain. Words that also boom in anticipation of the extraordinary summit of the EU Council on Sunday. “Macron's France, the one who gave us lessons in generosity for a week as Italians, should take back at least 9 refugees who have obtained protection in Italy and should go to France and thousands more should go to Spain. So generosity in words and in chatter is useless and we are not interested. The Prime Minister Conte has my mandate, of the whole government and I think of the majority of the Italian people, to go to Europe to re-negotiate the rules that are damaging us, but we are no longer fools ”.