A decision under pressure. France opens a port to a humanitarian ship with 230 migrants on board. The Ocean Viking is due to dock in Toulon on Friday “exceptionally”, the French government announced on Thursday, after a long standoff with Italy.
Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, immediately criticized Italy’s “incomprehensible option” and contrary to “international law”, led by a new far-right government – including Council President Giorgia Meloni – which has refused to open its ports.
These tensions over migratory flows then raise the question of the balance of the receiving European forces, and in this specific case: France and Italy. Indeed, the Italian Interior Minister criticized Paris’s reaction on this issue by stating that her country “has welcomed 90,000” immigrants this year.
199,900 irregular crossings in Europe
From a European perspective, in 2021 there were 199,900 irregular crossings, including 112,600 sea crossings and 87,300 land barrier crossings, according to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
Once they have set foot in Europe, immigrants have the possibility to apply for asylum. According to the latest data from the European Commission, in 2021, after Germany, France receives the highest number of first asylum applications, that is, 103,800. Italy has only 43,900. However, the Italian authorities say that since January 1, about 90,000 migrants have arrived in their territory.
a european showdown
Since June, a relocation system provides for a dozen member states, including France, to voluntarily take in 8,000 immigrants. In reality, only 164 immigrants were relocated from Italy in 2022. An insufficient number according to Italy, which claims that 88,100 people have arrived on its shores since January 1.
For Mathieu Lefèvre, Renaissance deputy for Val-de-Marne, guest on BFMTV on Thursday, this surprisingly low number of 164 relocations can be explained. “It was going to be 3,500 next year because the mechanism of the French presidency of the European Union dates from June 2022,” he said.
9 countries will help France
Among the 230 migrants still aboard the Ocean Viking (4 were landed for health reasons, editor’s note), a third, or 78, will be relocated to France, Gérald Darmanin announced. Those who do not meet the criteria for residency or asylum rights will be directly deported.
The other two-thirds will be relocated to nine other European countries: Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Luxembourg, Ireland and Germany, the Interior Minister said on TF1. To protest against Italy’s attitude, France has decided to suspend with immediate effect the planned reception of 3,500 immigrants currently in Italy.
Source: BFM TV
