EU ministers meet in Paris on divisive issue of migrants

European ministers met Monday in Paris seeking some unity on how to deal with migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, people who are now being blocked out of ports by Italy and Malta, dragged back unwillingly to lawless Libya or used as pawns in political standoffs across Europe.

Yet absent from the closed-door meeting of European Union interior and foreign ministers was Italy's populist Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who tweeted a day earlier his strong disagreement with letting France and Germany determine the bloc's refugee policy while nations like Italy are on the front line.

"We intend to make ourselves respected," Salvini declared in another tweet.

Despite Salvini's absence, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas voiced hope that a solution was on the horizon.

"The haggling about emergency rescue in the Mediterranean must finally end," Maas said at a briefing later for reporters.

"It is really necessary that we manage to put together a coalition of those who are prepared to help, and I think we came a step closer to that today."
Salvini wasted no time in warning SOS Mediterranee that Italy was not about to bend on its policy of keeping rescue ships at bay, tweeting Monday, "if someone is thinking about helping smugglers or breaking laws, be careful because we won't be standing still."