The Ocean Viking rescue ship carrying about 230 rescued refugees on board was docked on Friday in the military port of the French city of Toulon. The Norwegian ship of SOS Méditerranée had previously been refused by Italy, forcing it to wander at sea for more than two weeks.
France gave the ship permission to dock on Thursday. The country also lashed out at the Italian government by withdrawing its promise to welcome 3,500 refugees from Italy.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, finds the attitude of Italy, where the right-wing Georgia Meloni has recently become prime minister, “incomprehensible and selfish”.
The Italian government defines France’s anger at the refusal of 230 boatmen out of place and incomprehensible. “Italy has taken in 90,000 this year alone”, underlined the Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
