The Maltese government has taken a symbolic stance against anti-migrant sentiment, denying a ship carrying far-right anti-refugee activists port access and requests for water and supplies. The activists, who were aboard the C-Star vessel, were part of the controversial Defend Europe group which claims to work to “defend Europe” from illegal immigrants by patrolling the Mediterranean Sea, according to its website. The Mediterranean Sea constitutes a key route for refugees and migrants seeking international refuge in a number of key locations in Europe.
In a collection of tweets shared by the group on August 19 and 20, Defend Europe claims that “Malta, that is allowing NGO vessels to use Valetta as their HQ, is denying the #cstar port acceptance.” A later tweet shared reads “Malta is now denying the cstar fresh water and has forbidden supply vessel to provide us. Who [sic] low can you go?”
According to reports by Times of Malta, a spokesman for the Maltese government noted that there had been no official request made by the vessel to dock in Malta, yet that such requests would likely be been denied anyway, and that the ship’s request for ‘services’ from Malta was also denied. In a strong statement, the spokesman also highlighted that the C-Star “was not welcome in Malta,” citing the reason being that the Central Mediterranean nation disagrees “with all that [the boat] stands for.” According to DPA news agency, the spokesman also noted that “Europe and Malta stand for solidarity and respect for human dignity.”
Prior to its rejection from Malta the C-Star had been patrolling the Mediterranean for several weeks, reportedly to carry out its mission of returning distressed naval vessel carrying migrants to the Libyan Coast Guard, in order to “Defend Europe and save lives.” Al Jazeera reports that despite the groups’ claim that it had been successful in its recent venture, the crew did not carry out its agenda to return migrant ships to Libya.
The events in Malta had occurred after a group of Tunisian fisherman denied a far-right ship from docking in Zarzis, south-east Tunisia, to refuel and restock supplies earlier in the month. The ship was associated with the far-right group Génération Identitaire, which has been active in the Mediterranean and is similarly anti-migrant in its ideology and agenda as Defend Europe.
A number of NGOs applauded the move by the Maltese government, noting in a joint statement that “the stance adopted by the Government of Malta sends out a clear message against the politics of hate and extremism.” It is clear that strong symbolic action by governments fighting against anti-migrant movements, and against hate and extremism more generally, is of ever-growing importance given the current international climate which is all-too-often defined by hate-fuelled crime and violence.
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