Helping hand from Germany to Italy for immigrants

German Foreign Minister Haiko Maas said on Thursday that Berlin was ready to receive immigrants to help Italy. following the arrival of large numbers of people from North Africa off the coast of the southern European country by sea in recent days.

The number of migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to reach Europe has risen sharply in recent times. More than 2,000 arrived on the island of Lampedusa at the weekend.

“Italy can not be left alone to deal with the problem,” Maas said during a meeting with his Italian counterpart Luigi di Mayo in Rome.

The head of German diplomacy did not specify how many people his country will receive. He explained that a discussion with the interior ministry would be needed first.

«Germany has participated in the past in the redistribution of people in need of (international) protection and we will do it again“, Assured Mr. Maas.

He added that other countries in the European Union must also take on their responsibilities.

The EU remains deeply divided over how to deal with the problem since the refugee and migrant crisis erupted in 2015.

Meanwhile, the non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that it is sending its own ship, the Geo Barents, to the Mediterranean to help prevent drowning of migrants.

«Our return to the sea is due to the indifference to the consequences of the policy of non-assistance at sea by Europe, which sentences people to deathSaid Ellen van der Felden, MSF’s search and rescue operations coordinator.

So far this year, at least 557 people have drowned trying to make the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean, according to UN estimates. More than 1,200 refugees and migrants died in 2020 – the vast majority on the main Mediterranean sea route – according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), part of the United Nations system.