France allows stranded migrants to dock amid row with Italy

France has announced it will take in a migrant ship stranded off the Italian coast in the Mediterranean with more than 200 migrants on board, after Italy refused to allow the NGO rescue ship to dock at one of its ports.

The 234 migrants on board the Ocean Viking ship, including 57 children, will be allowed to disembark at Toulon's military port, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a press conference on Thursday. He sharply criticized Italy for refusing to take the migrants in, describing its actions as "incomprehensible" and "selfish."

"There is no doubt that it (the Ocean Viking) was in Italy's research and rescue zone," said Darmanin, adding that "there will be extremely strong consequences on the bilateral relationship."

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, responded with equally heated words.

"France's reaction to the request to take in 234 migrants, while Italy has taken in 90,000 this year alone, is totally incomprehensible in the face of constant calls for solidarity," the Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

The ship is expected to arrive in the French port on Friday, after two weeks at sea. One third of the migrants on board will be settled in France and one third in Germany, while discussions among other EU countries continue over the settlement location of the remainder of migrants.

European countries have often been divided over the issue of migrants crossing the Mediterranean en route to Europe. Italy and Spain often complain that they take in the biggest number, as their shores are usually closest to the frail migrant boats rescued by NGOs while attempting to cross over from Africa.

France suspends plans to settle migrants in Italy

In reaction to Italy's refusal to allow the Ocean Viking to dock, Darmanin said his country is suspending earlier plans to take in 3,500 migrants currently in Italy.

"France very deeply regrets that Italy has decided not to behave like a responsible European state," the interior minister said.

The row comes shortly after the appointment of Italy's most right-wing government since World War II in September.

Italy has argued that the countries where the ships are registered should be responsible for the refugees on board. Rescuers meanwhile cite international law as stipulating that stranded migrants should be brought into the nearest safe port.

The Ocean Viking bears the Norwegian flag.

Last June, a group of EU member states including France said they would start taking in migrants who end up in Italy, as a means to support Rome.

EU member states have thus far taken in 164 asylum seekers from Italy, out of a total of 88,000 who have reached the Italian shores this year alone, the French AFP news agency reported.

Figures by the UN's International Organization for Migration place the number of migrants who perished or disappeared while attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year at 1,891.

rmt/aw (AFP, dpa, Reuters)