Italy seizes rescue ship, permits migrants to land in Italy
A humanitarian rescue ship carrying 48 migrants entered the port of Lampedusa, where they were being allowed to disembark Tuesday evening despite an earlier refusal by Italy's hard-line interior minister.
The boat was allowed to enter the port after Sicilian prosecutors ordered it seized, ending the latest standoff with Italy's populist government, which has closed its ports to rescue ships. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini welcomed the seizure of the Mare Jonio, saying "now in Italy there is a government that defends the borders and ensures respect for the law, most of all for human traffickers. Whoever errs pays."
