Europe must respect migrants' rights: Ministers

Rome, Oct 10 (IANS/AKI) Europe must save migrants and uphold their human rights and international law, Italy's Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi and his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Soreide said.

"People must be rescued," Moavero told reporters at a joint press conference with Eriksen Soreide after talks with her at the Foreign Ministry in Rome on Tuesday.

"Those who have the right to asylum should be given shelter as a refugee while the others must be saved and possibly repatriated," he said.

Eriksen Soreide agreed with Moavero that European Union states should respect migrants' human rights under international law and take part in a European solution to migration.

"The challenge is too big for one country to take on alone," she said.

Norway took part in past European responses to the migration crisis and will continue to do so in future, Eriksen Soreide underlined.

"Our position is clear: international obligations and human rights must be respected," Eriksen Søreide underlined.

--IANS/AKI

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