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Political Pressures Block Spanish Humanitarian Ship

Martin Arostegui

   MADRID - A Spanish navy frigate sailed from Cadiz Wednesday to escort
   the humanitarian vessel Open Arms back from Italy with a token number
   of 10 refugees Spain has agreed to takein what could be the
   Barcelona-based ship's last voyage under mounting pressure to stop
   rescuing shipwrecked African migrants.

   The Italian government said Tuesday it would hold the ship for two
   weeks to conduct an investigation after it was allowed to land with 80
   migrants following a 20-day ordeal at sea. Interior ministry officials
   suggested Spain should take all the migrants as the ship's voyage
   originated from there.

   Migrant crisis

   In an apparent policy shift by Spain's socialist government, top
   officials publicly threatened to clamp a $1 million fine on the Open
   Arms charity after its latest "unauthorized" rescue of 160 refugees off
   Libya's coast.

   Italy also has moved to impound the ship. The humanitarian ordeal
   caused by the country's refusal to accept the refugees touched off a
   government crisis, and led to tense negotiations with the European
   Union to determine the fate of the migrants on board.

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