France blocks migrants' train
A train carrying Tunisian immigrants from Italy was not allowed to pass into Menton, France, from the border station of Ventimiglia.
A train carrying Tunisian immigrants from Italy was halted at the French border today in an escalation of an international dispute over the fate of North African migrants fleeing political unrest for refuge in Europe.
A spokesman for the Italian rail company, Maurizio Furia, said the train carrying migrants and political activists who support them wasn't being allowed to pass into Menton, France, from the border station of Ventimiglia.
Italy lodged a protest with the French government, calling the move "illegitimate and in clear violation of general European principles" the Italian Foreign Ministry said.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini ordered his envoy in Paris "to express the strong protest of the Italian government".
Italy has been giving temporary residence permits to many of the roughly 26,000 Tunisians who have gone to Italy to escape unrest in northern Africa in recent weeks. Many of the Tunisians have family ties or friends in France, and the Italian government says the permits should allow the Tunisians to go there under accords allowing visa-free travel among many European countries.
France says it will honour the permits only if the migrants prove they can financially support themselves and it has instituted patrols on the Italian border - unprecedented since the introduction of the Schengen travel-free zone.
Germany has said it would do the same.
European nations have been increasingly and bitterly sparring over the issue.
"We have given the migrants travel documents, and we gave everything (else) that is needed, and the European Commission recognised that, it has said that Italy is following the Schengen rules," Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said in an interview on Italy's Sky TG24 TV.
"Visa-free travel is legitimate for all those with the papers and who want to go to France," said Mr Maroni, a top official of the anti-immigrant Northern League party, a main coalition partner of Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
While he has robustly backed pro-democracy movements in the Arab world, triggered by the Tunisian uprising, conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy is also trying to cut back on the number of migrants arriving in France, whose former colonies in North Africa already provide the majority of immigrants.
France and Italy agreed to joint sea-and-air patrols more than a week ago to block any new North African migrants from sailing to destinations including Italy's southernmost point, the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. It is not clear when joint patrols would begin.
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Alfred Falzon
Apr 18th 2011, 16:24
Berlusconi's governrnment issued overnight travel visas to the Tunisian illegal immigrants to get rid of them via France!
When the tiny Island of Malta was in dire straits, overrun by refugees, the Italians refused to host the few "clandestini" who had gone to Sicily instead of disembarking at Malta, the latter being closer to where their boat had stopped for refuelling!
Now the Berlusconi/Maroni tandem are expecting France to make an exception and close both eyes to their Machiavellian policy!
The Italian Government, crisis-managed by Berlusconi's superficial numerical parliamentary majority (some of whose members, only recently, crossed the floor from FINI's party to prop up the crumbling coalition) has lost all credibility and has made of itself the laughing stock of the European Union!
Raymond Farrugia
Apr 18th 2011, 10:33
Why not test Italy with its own game and issue travel visas to those coming over? We could then set them on their way to Italy and see what happens.
Mr Mario P. Sciberras
Apr 18th 2011, 09:21
"France and Italy agreed to joint sea-and-air patrols more than a week ago to block any new North African migrants from sailing to destinations including Italy's southernmost point," What is good for these countries is good for me.
Mr Michel Ellul
Apr 18th 2011, 08:10
@Mr Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
kieku ma tillimitax il-vizjoni tieghek sal-ponta ta mniehrek, niggarantilek li dan il-kumment thassru.
Mr Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
Apr 18th 2011, 08:38
Nitħasrek Sur Michael Ellul, li għandekk viżjoni tant povra tiegħek innifsek, Alla ħalqek biex tkun wisq aħjar minhekk fir-relazzjoni ma ħutek il-bnedmin!
Nissuġġerilhek tipperfezzjona l-viżjoni tiegħek favur is-sewwa tal-karatru ħanin Malti, u mhux tmur tfaħħar u tappoġja il-ħażin bla ebda rispett lejn il-bnedmin ta' mexxejja barranin bla qalb!
Kun kburi li Malti mimli b'dawn il-valuri nobli ta' rispett lejn il-ħajja!
Sur Ellul, Inti trid minn jistmak hekk, bħal-Berlusconi u Sarkozy, wieħed jippakjak u jibgħatek għal-għonq it-triq u l-ieħor ma jaċċettakx, dawn x'valuri huma ta' dawn in-nies?
Lill dawn in-nies bla qalb tammira Sur Ellul?
Mela ifraħ poplu Malti li għandekk Prim Ministru mimli valuri favur ir-rispett lejn l-umanita kollha, u allura lejk ukoll Sur Ellul!
Mr Michel Ellul
Apr 18th 2011, 10:48
il-problema sur Aqulina li miniex wahdi b'din il-vizjoni... u jien mhux qed infahhar u wisq aktar ma nammira lil-hadd ghal-kuntrarju tieghek innifsek li qed tfahhar lil ministru f'kull kumment li qed t'ghamel. Bil-mod kif qed tikteb qed tkun wisq partigjan !!
il-punt tieghi hu li is-solidarjeta, ir-rispett u l-imhabba ghandhom limitu... ahna bhala kobor ta pajjiz ma naffordjawx nilqhu dan l-influss kbir ta immigranti. il- Prim Ministru mhux qed j'ghamel xejn rigward din is-sitwazzjoni prekarja hlif ibaxxi rasu u jkompli ihalli l-immigranti dehlin. l-Unjoni Ewropea uritna bic-car li ma tridx tikkometti ruha allura ahna ha nibqu insafru.
li qed tpingini bl-qalb, ghandek zball kbir u komplejt tizbalja ax iggudikajtni minghajr l-anqas biss tafni (iva insara ahna, t'ghidli xejn)
Mr Joseph Brincat
Apr 18th 2011, 07:59
Europe's solidarity among its members at its best!
Goes on to show Sarkozy's real interest in attacking Libya. Democracy only when it suits the colonialists!
(jb)
Mr carlos ellul
Apr 18th 2011, 09:08
U mhux kulhadd jaf l kuxjenza socjali ta dal gvern. Bizzejjed tara li kien l unika gvern fl Ewropa li zied l pagi tal MPs fnofs recessjoni.
Christian Sciberras
Apr 19th 2011, 15:13
Joseph Brincat - How can you accuse him of being a colonialist when he's trying to get rid of them from his country? At most he might be trying to rebuild a broken country to fill it up, which in itself isn't a bad idea either.
Mr Carmel (Nenu) Aquilina
Apr 18th 2011, 06:37
Possibli li hawn nies f'Malta jifirħu u jissodisfaw ruħhom bil-ħażen li jwetqu mexxejja krudili kontra ħutna l-bnedmin fit-tbatija?
Tafu li dan huwa skandlu politiku u kriminali kontra l-umanita?
Tafu li dan huwa eżempju sadista lill-komunita internazzjonali?
Din il-kwalita ta' mexxejja krudili li nixtiequ li jkollna?
Din id-dinja li nixtiequ li jkollna?
Fejna l-imħabba, ir-rispett, is-solidarjeta li jippriedkaw dawn il-mexxejja?
Fejna l-imħabba tal-proxmu tagħna l-Maltin
Mela għandi raġun inkun ferħan bil-Prim Ministru Malti Dr Gonzi għax żgur huwa ċ-CHAMPION tad-demokrazija u s-solidarjeta!
Qed tara poplu Malti kemm għandek għax tifraħ bil-Prim Ministru tiegħek Dr L.Gonzi!
Charles Sammut
Apr 18th 2011, 08:40
A Schengen visa issued in any (usually country of first entry) Schengen country is valid for travel throughout the Schengen zone. So theoretically, Italy is right. However, France is claiming that these visas should not have been issued because these immigrants do not have a valid reason for travel, do not intend to go back to their home country and neither do they have the means to support themselves. Beside, France has serious social strife because of immigrants, something that has enabled Marine le Pen to beat Sarkozy at the opinion polls.
Joseph Vassallo
Apr 18th 2011, 00:50
I thought that one has to have a "Shengen-State" passport not just a visa from a Shengen state in order to enjoy unchallenged freedom of movement within the Shengen area. Am I mistaken?
But... if Berlusconi's point is that France should accept immigrants from its former colony (Tunisia), then surely it follows that Italy should accept immigrants from its former colony (Libya); if this is the case, since Malta never colonised any country, it should not be burdened by either and should follow SB's logic and give visas to both Libyans and Tunisians thereby granting them the right to travel unchallenged within Shengen borders.... Hmmm! Or not, as the case may be!
SB seems to think that politics should be handled like a business in the same mogul way that he handles his media empire; if he does, he is wrong (in my opinion) and can't be perceived as a statesman, irrespective of the results he may be able to force. The end does not necessarily justify the means.
Stephen Koludrovic
Apr 17th 2011, 22:59
Whats wrong with these Tunisians just buying themselves an airline ticket, go direct Tunis/Paris. and visit all their relatives to their hearts content.
Charles Sammut
Apr 17th 2011, 21:57
France puts its national interest before so called 'European principles'. That is the way it should be. Our dear prime minister puts his religious principles first, followed by European principles and the national interest is nowhere to be seen.
Ms maria aquilina
Apr 18th 2011, 09:03
How very right and if I may add how correct was Alfred sant!
Ms pat muscat
Apr 17th 2011, 21:26
An other country prostituting its values!!!!!!
Mr Malcolm Seychell
Apr 17th 2011, 21:04
Another win for the best president in Europe Silvio Berlusconi.
He played europes game. We did as you asked. we gave them everything and now they are free to leave.