Italy pushes ahead with Libyan migrant mission, plays down scope

Record ID: 904432

  • Title: Italy pushes ahead with Libyan migrant mission, plays down scope
  • Date: 28th July 2017
  • Summary: AT SEA (FILE - MAY 2014) (REUTERS) OFFICER LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS, SEA REFLECTED ON SHIP WINDOW MIGRANT BOAT SEEN ON SHIP MONITOR RESCUED MIGRANTS VESSEL BEING TRANSFERRED ONTO "SAN GIORGIO" OFFICERS LINED UP WEARING WHITE PROTECTIVE SUITS VARIOUS OF RESCUED MIGRANTS WAITING TO BOARD "SAN GIORGIO" BEING GIVEN BOTTLES OF WATER
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2017 15:44
  • Keywords: Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni support to Libyan coastguard migrant flows Libyan waters Italian navy
  • Location: ROME, ITALY AND AT SEA
  • City: ROME, ITALY AND AT SEA
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0036RMUL3B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Italy agreed on Friday (July 28) to give more support to the Libyan coastguard to curb migrant flows, but Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni played down the scope of the mission to allay concerns in Tripoli.
    A government source told Reuters on Thursday (July 27) that Italy intended to dispatch several ships to Libyan waters by the end of August while Corriere della Sera newspaper said planes, helicopters and drones would also be deployed.
    The reports alarmed officials in Tripoli, who denied giving permission for Italian forces to enter Libyan waters as part of international efforts to stop smugglers from sending thousands more people to Europe.
    Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Gentiloni said Italy would only act in accordance with the Libyan authorities and gave no details of what his government planned to do. The proposal will be debated by parliament on Tuesday (August 1).
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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