United Nations, July 20 (UNI) UN Refugee Agency chief Filippo Grandi has cautiously welcomed the decision by several EU countries to take in some 450 migrants who have been stranded at sea for days, warning that a “ship-by-ship” arrangement was not sustainable.
The development comes after the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain and Portugal ended a disembarkation stand-off involving the migrants - who had set out from the Libya coast - by agreeing to take them in and process any asylum claims.
High Commissioner Grandi’s comments follow the rescue of the migrants near the Italian coast. They were reportedly picked up by two ships; one was operated by EU border agency Frontex, the other by Italian police.