European Refugee Crisis Missed by American Press

[Ivo Skoric]

Incredibly, the US press completely missed this one! CNN, New York 
Times, everybody. Controversial German high-seas-roaming humanitarian 
organization Cap Anamour, that devotes itself to the rights of 
refugees and, particularly, the "boat people", a month ago, right 
about at the time Anan and Powel met in Sudan, rescued 37 Sudanese 
refugees from a sinking dinghy between Malta and Sicily. Then the 
German boat sailed right into Porto Empedocle with an intention to 
unload its human cargo on Italy. Italian authorities did not allow 
them to dock for 18 days, furthering the humanitarian and health 
crisis among the exhausted refugees on board of the humanitarian 
ship. Italy argued that the refugees should be taken to Malta, 
because they were saved closer to Malta's territorial waters. Maltese 
authorities played dead. German authorities also behaved as if they 
never heard for Cap Anamour or their ship, that sailed brazenly into 
Italian territorial waters with the unwanted cargo. The internal EU 
relations were threatened by the refugee crisis at the Southern tip 
of the alliance. Italian Green party members of parliament went on 
hunger strike to coerce the government to let the ship dock. They 
took the issue to EU Human Rights court at Strassbourg. Eventually, 
Italian government gave in and let the ship dock. Refugees were taken 
into detention. Captain and the humanitarian organization 
representative were arrested and interrogated by the Italian 
authorities. Local Italian Green party leader voluntarily spent a 
night in prison with them. They are released now. Sudanese refugees 
are still in custody, having their claim processed. It is unclear 
what fate awaits Cap Anamour's ship, which is now impounded by 
Italians. Italians would like to destroy it. Germans, despite the 
Green foreign minister, did not raise official objection. But the 
entire Europe is ruffled with the issue, that became suddenly more 
imminent than Iraq. Since, there are no news about this in the US, 
you can follow the developments through the reports by the Italian 
News Agency.
ivo

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200407121949-1195-RT1-CRO-0-
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http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200407151212-1044-RT1-CRO-0-
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http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200407131711-1181-RT1-CRO-0-
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http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200407141752-1215-RT1-CRO-0-
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http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200407081409-1122-RT1-CRO-0-
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http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200407071848-1190-RT1-CRO-0-
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