'More controls needed' on aid groups rescuing migrants
Valletta, May 16.─ An Italian parliamentary commission said today that that Malta and Tunisia should do more to help Italy tackle the huge numbers of migrants who are using Libya as a springboard in search of a better life in Europe.
The commission also called for more controls on humanitarian organisations that are taking an increasingly significant role in rescuing migrants from the Mediterranean.
The Senate Defence Committee launched the inquiry earlier this year amid accusations that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were colluding with people smugglers to help with search and rescue operations close to the Libyan coast.
In their conclusions, parliamentarians said no NGO groups were under investigation, but they called for them to be put under greater scrutiny, saying their ship crews and financial backers should be registered with authorities.
They also suggested that police should travel aboard NGO vessels ...
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