Italy’s prime minister said Sunday it was necessary to heed Pope Francis’ call for action to stop people smugglers after a migrant ship sank off Calabria.
“The words of the Holy Father are a great call to all institutions,” defended Giorgia Meloni, through a post on the social network Facebook, assuring that the Italian executive is doing his part, “using all efforts to stop the traffickers”.
Pope Francis called for an end to the smuggling of migrants today, a week after a ship sank off southern Italy, killing at least 70 people.
“That the traffickers of human beings be arrested, that they no longer have the power to dispose of the lives of so many innocent people,” exhorted the Argentine Jesuit, at the end of today’s Angelus prayer.
“May these voyages of hope never again become voyages of death and may the clear waters of the Mediterranean not be bloodied by such dramatic incidents,” added the 86-year-old Pope.
On Saturday, Giorgia Meloni said her government had not prevented rescue operations for victims of a migrant boat sinking in Calabria.
“Can there really be anyone in their right mind who thinks the government deliberately let 60 people die?” – questioned, at the time, Meloni, at a press conference, during a visit to Abu Dhabi
“Please, let’s be serious,” he appealed to the ruler.
Authorities have opened an investigation into whether the rescue operations were delayed due to negligence.
Giorgia Meloni’s government has been defending the coast guard, which it said follows its rules to deal with this type of situation.
Source: TSF
