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UN Urges Reluctant EU Nations to Help Stranded Migrants

Associated Press

   The United Nations refugee agency urgently appealed to European
   governments Tuesday to let two migrant rescue ships disembark more than
   500 passengers who remain stranded at sea as countries bicker over who
   should take responsibility for them.
   The people rescued while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from
   North Africa are on ships chartered by humanitarian aid groups that the
   Italian government has banned from its territory. The archipelago
   nation of Malta also has refused to let the ships into that country's
   ports.

   BRUSSELS - It's unclear where they might find safe harbor, even though
   the Italian island of Lampedusa appears closest. About 150 of the
   rescued passengers have been on the Spanish-flagged charity ship the
   Open Arms since they were plucked from the Mediterranean 13 days ago.

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