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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Mediterranean migrants: Italy warns EU over quota plan | Mediterranean migrants: Italy warns EU over quota plan |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| EU interior ministers are discussing how to respond to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, with Italy threatening a strong response if no deal is reached. | |
| A key issue at the talks in Luxembourg is a plan to distribute asylum seekers more evenly across all 28 EU states. | A key issue at the talks in Luxembourg is a plan to distribute asylum seekers more evenly across all 28 EU states. |
| Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said that without agreement Italy would adopt a "Plan B" that would "hurt" Europe. | |
| Italian police have removed dozens of migrants camping at the French border. | |
| Police in riot gear forcibly shoved some of them onto buses and took them away from Ventimiglia, not far from French Riviera resorts. | |
| The migrants, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan, had been prevented from entering France. | |
| The crisis has put a huge strain on Italian, Greek and Maltese resources. | The crisis has put a huge strain on Italian, Greek and Maltese resources. |
| While some EU states including Germany and Austria back a deal to share a total of 60,000 asylum seekers across 25 nations, others argue that migrants should not be forced to move to countries where they do not want to settle. The UK, Denmark and Ireland have exemptions from the quota plan. | While some EU states including Germany and Austria back a deal to share a total of 60,000 asylum seekers across 25 nations, others argue that migrants should not be forced to move to countries where they do not want to settle. The UK, Denmark and Ireland have exemptions from the quota plan. |
| More than 1,800 migrants have died in the Mediterranean so far this year - a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014. The majority had set sail aboard rickety, overcrowded boats from strife-torn Libya. | More than 1,800 migrants have died in the Mediterranean so far this year - a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014. The majority had set sail aboard rickety, overcrowded boats from strife-torn Libya. |
| In recent weeks naval vessels, including the UK's HMS Bulwark, have rescued thousands of people at risk of drowning, but plans to resettle migrants across Europe and break up the smuggling networks have yet to be agreed. | In recent weeks naval vessels, including the UK's HMS Bulwark, have rescued thousands of people at risk of drowning, but plans to resettle migrants across Europe and break up the smuggling networks have yet to be agreed. |
| For the past few days, Italy has been involved in a row with France over the presence of more than 200 African migrants in Ventimiglia. | |
| France has accused Italy of failing to respect EU asylum rules, but the Rome government has argued the migrants see Italy only as a transit country. | France has accused Italy of failing to respect EU asylum rules, but the Rome government has argued the migrants see Italy only as a transit country. |
| The Dublin Regulation says the EU country where migrants first arrive should deal with their asylum claims. | |
| Going into the Luxembourg talks, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said "we have to build solidarity for our Italian friends, and they have to build responsibility". Responsibility, he explained, must include "organising the return of irregular migrants". | Going into the Luxembourg talks, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said "we have to build solidarity for our Italian friends, and they have to build responsibility". Responsibility, he explained, must include "organising the return of irregular migrants". |
| What interior ministers say | What interior ministers say |
| Italy's Angelino Alfano: At stake are the principles of free circulation, the European Common Asylum Policy, the principle of responsibility and the principle of solidarity, therefore we are working to avoid Europe's political bankruptcy... The scene in Ventimiglia is a punch in Europe's face. It's the proof that migrants don't come to Italy to stay in Italy, but to go to Europe. | Italy's Angelino Alfano: At stake are the principles of free circulation, the European Common Asylum Policy, the principle of responsibility and the principle of solidarity, therefore we are working to avoid Europe's political bankruptcy... The scene in Ventimiglia is a punch in Europe's face. It's the proof that migrants don't come to Italy to stay in Italy, but to go to Europe. |
| UK's Theresa May: We need to go after the criminal gangs who are plying this terrible, callous trade in human lives. We also need to break the link between people getting into the boats and reaching Europe. That means returning people to North Africa or elsewhere, to their home countries so they see there is no merit in this journey. | UK's Theresa May: We need to go after the criminal gangs who are plying this terrible, callous trade in human lives. We also need to break the link between people getting into the boats and reaching Europe. That means returning people to North Africa or elsewhere, to their home countries so they see there is no merit in this journey. |
| Ireland's Frances Fitzgerald: We want to act in solidarity with other countries to deal with this humanitarian crisis. So we'll be considering the range of alternatives today very seriously. | Ireland's Frances Fitzgerald: We want to act in solidarity with other countries to deal with this humanitarian crisis. So we'll be considering the range of alternatives today very seriously. |
| Italy's 'Plan B' | Italy's 'Plan B' |
| Italy and Greece - which have already seen more than 100,000 boat people arrive on their shores this year - insist other EU nations must share some of the burden. Italy has seen an influx of almost 60,000 migrants, mainly from Libya. | Italy and Greece - which have already seen more than 100,000 boat people arrive on their shores this year - insist other EU nations must share some of the burden. Italy has seen an influx of almost 60,000 migrants, mainly from Libya. |
| Mr Renzi is reported to have warned that, without a fair deal, Italy would start issuing temporary visas to enable migrants to travel beyond Italy under Schengen rules. | Mr Renzi is reported to have warned that, without a fair deal, Italy would start issuing temporary visas to enable migrants to travel beyond Italy under Schengen rules. |
| "If the European Council chooses solidarity, then good. If it doesn't we have a Plan B ready but that would be a wound inflicted on Europe," he told Italy's Corriere della Sera. | "If the European Council chooses solidarity, then good. If it doesn't we have a Plan B ready but that would be a wound inflicted on Europe," he told Italy's Corriere della Sera. |
| Although details of Italy's Plan B have not been given, reports suggest that Italy would refuse to allow migrants rescued by foreign navies to disembark on its shores. | Although details of Italy's Plan B have not been given, reports suggest that Italy would refuse to allow migrants rescued by foreign navies to disembark on its shores. |
| Asked whether that was true, Italian European Affairs Minister Sandro Gozzi told BBC Radio "it is clear that in a possible second phase we will apply international maritime law in all its aspects". | Asked whether that was true, Italian European Affairs Minister Sandro Gozzi told BBC Radio "it is clear that in a possible second phase we will apply international maritime law in all its aspects". |
| The Schengen system removed compulsory passport controls at most of the EU's internal borders, to encourage free movement. | The Schengen system removed compulsory passport controls at most of the EU's internal borders, to encourage free movement. |
| German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in Luxembourg that "we're not looking to change Schengen, we're not for systematic border controls". | German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in Luxembourg that "we're not looking to change Schengen, we're not for systematic border controls". |
| EU quota proposals | EU quota proposals |
| Migrants: What can Europe achieve? | Migrants: What can Europe achieve? |
| Who are the Med's migrants? | Who are the Med's migrants? |
| The European Commission wants to relocate 40,000 new arrivals over the next two years according to a "distribution key" that takes account of factors such as population, gross domestic product and unemployment, as well as the number of refugees already taken in. | The European Commission wants to relocate 40,000 new arrivals over the next two years according to a "distribution key" that takes account of factors such as population, gross domestic product and unemployment, as well as the number of refugees already taken in. |
| However, France and Germany - which together would be expected to receive more than 30% of the relocated refugees - have asked for "fairer burden-sharing". | However, France and Germany - which together would be expected to receive more than 30% of the relocated refugees - have asked for "fairer burden-sharing". |
| The crisis is opening up deep fissures in the EU, the BBC's Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas reports. Eastern nations like the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary say they are adamantly opposed to quotas requiring them to take in thousands. | The crisis is opening up deep fissures in the EU, the BBC's Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas reports. Eastern nations like the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary say they are adamantly opposed to quotas requiring them to take in thousands. |
| The UK says it is opting out of the plan, as it can under EU rules. Ireland also has an opt-out, but has pledged to "do its fair share" and take part in the EU's migrant distribution scheme. | The UK says it is opting out of the plan, as it can under EU rules. Ireland also has an opt-out, but has pledged to "do its fair share" and take part in the EU's migrant distribution scheme. |