Rescued migrants arrive in Italy. Now what?
As thousands of migrants rescued at sea arrive at Italian ports, the question turns to where to house them all.
A migrant opens his arms as he waits to disembark from the German Navy ship Hessen at the Palermo harbor, Italy, Sunday. European rescue boats are bringing thousands of migrants saved at sea to Italian ports, prompting center-right politicians to vow that their regions won't shelter any more of them.
Alessandro Fucarini/AP
Rome
European rescue boats are bringing thousands of migrants saved at sea to Italian ports, prompting center-right politicians to vow that their regions won't shelter any more of them.
Arriving by the hundreds Sunday were some of the nearly 3,500 migrants rescued a day earlier in the Mediterranean Sea from unseaworthy boats launched by Libya-based smugglers.
Liguria Gov. Giovanni Toti, elected just last week, was among the northern Italian politicians vowing to refuse to host any more migrants while asylum requests are being evaluated. Toti's candidacy was backed by his mentor, former center-right Premier Silvio Berlusconi, and by the anti-immigrant Northern League party, which surged in support in the regional balloting.
Rome-based investigators, meanwhile, are alleging some local politicians have taken lucrative kickbacks for contracts to feed and shelter migrants.
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