Italy: Politicians Vow to Spurn Migrants

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/world/europe/italy-politicians-vow-to-spurn-migrants.html

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Politicians based in the north vowed Sunday not to shelter any more migrants saved at sea, even as thousands more were being rescued in the Mediterranean from smugglers’ boats in distress. Over the weekend, nearly 6,000 migrants were rescued by several European military vessels, including 2,371 who were saved on Sunday from 15 boats that ran into difficulty shortly after smugglers set off with them from Libya, the Italian coast guard said. The migrants are fleeing poverty, persecution and war in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Among the northern Italian politicians refusing to accept more migrants on Sunday was the newly elected governor of Liguria, Giovanni Toti, who is backed by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the anti-immigrant Northern League party, and Gov. Roberto Maroni of Lombardy, who asked followers on Twitter whether they agreed with him that “Lombardy mayors must refuse to welcome clandestine migrants” sent by the national government or else face regional funding cuts as punishment.