Germany’s government attempted to rebuke Elon Musk after he criticized the recent work of migrant rescue ships that German humanitarian groups operate in the Mediterranean Sea.
Musk late Friday shared a video that showed illegal immigrants and aid workers on a boat.
There are currently 8 German NGO ships in the Mediterranean Sea collecting illegal immigrants to be unloaded in Italy. These NGOs are subsidized by the German government. Let’s hope AfD wins the elections to stop this European suicide https://t.co/drJGG33zBu pic.twitter.com/WuPZLrU99y
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) September 29, 2023
“Is the German public aware of this?” Musk wrote in his repost.
The German Federal Foreign Office replied to Musk directly on X, writing: “Yes. And it’s called saving lives”.
Musk responded that he doubted the German public supports the actions of non-governmental organizations that take illegal immigrants from unseaworthy vessels in the Mediterranean. He also asserted it was “surely” a violation of Italy’s sovereignty for German-operated ships to bring rescued migrants to Italian territory.
So you’re actually proud of it. Interesting. Frankly, I doubt that a majority of the German public supports this. Have you run a poll?
Surely it is a violation of the sovereignty of Italy for Germany to transport vast numbers of illegal immigrants to Italian soil?
Has invasion…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 29, 2023
“So you’re actually proud of it. Interesting”, he wrote to the Foreign Office, adding that he thinks such maritime operations have “invasion vibes”.
The exchange comes as illegal immigration has returned to the political forefront in Germany and other European countries, with government officials and opposition politicians sparring about how best to handle an increasing number of arriving migrants.
Cities and communities across Germany have sounded an alarm, saying they are running out of room to accommodate them and to provide kindergarten and school places.
More than 220,000 people applied for asylum in Germany from January to August this year. In all of 2022, about 240,000 people applied for asylum. In 2015-16, more than 1 million people applied for asylum in Germany.
Source: AP
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