Macron says rescue ship Lifeline contravened ‘all rules’

Rome (AFP) – French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday the rescue ship Lifeline defied “all the rules and the Libyan coastguard” and “played into the hands of smugglers” when it rescued hundreds of migrants off the Libyan coast last week. 

“We cannot permanently accept this situation,” Macron told a press conference in Rome, where he announced that France would be one of six EU nations to take in migrants aboard the stranded ship. 

“In the end we are playing into the hands of smugglers by reducing the risks of the journey,” he added.