Italy turns back migrant ship
June 13th, 2018A pro-government commentator welcomes Italy’s decision to turn back the rescue ship with hundreds of undocumented migrants, and blames the plight of migrants on pro-migration NGOs. A left-wing columnist accuses anti-immigrant parties that claim to defend Christian Europe of violating basic Christian values.
Magyar Idők’s Ottó Gajdics reads the decision of Italy’s new Home Affairs Minister not to allow the Aquarius rescue ship to unload 600 migrants on Italian soil as a sign of ‘Europe sobering up’. The pro-government commentator welcomes the position recently adopted by the governments of Italy as well as Spain and Malta that Europe’s borders should be sealed off in order to stop illegal immigration. Gajdics adds that German Chancellor Merkel has also realized the need to protect Europe’s borders. Angela Merkel in a comment on Monday appeared to defend PM Orbán’s decision to erect a fence on Hungary’s southern borders. Chancellor Merkel said ‘in a sense, the Hungarians are doing that in our place’. In retrospect, Gajdics finds it nauseating that ‘deformed minded pro-immigration politicians financed by George Soros’ criticized Hungary for erecting a fence ‘to defend European culture and civilization from the wave of unintegratable masses’. Gajdics hopes that these ‘pseudo-humanitarian’ NGOs which he holds responsible for the suffering of illegal migrants who risk their lives will get their dues soon.
In Népszava, Tamás Rónay interprets the case of the Aquarius as a bitter metaphor of the new anti-immigrant populism in Europe. The left-wing pundit fears that migration will remain the most important topic in European politics. This will help ‘anti-European radicals’ that ‘ignore basic humanitarian values’ and use the suffering of migrants to boost their popularity, Rónay contends. He adds that those politicians who claim to defend Christian Europe are actually violating basic Christian values by denying help to refugees in need. In a passing comment, Rónay suggests that organizations which have offered help to refugees heading for Europe may also be held responsible for the current situation.