The decision is made “on an exceptional basis”. This Thursday, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced that the approximately 230 migrants still on board the Ocean Viking humanitarian ship (another three were evacuated to the Bastia hospital this Thursday morning) would be received in Toulon.
An election that closes the confrontation that these immigrants, rescued between Libya and Malta, were subjected to between France and Italy. The interior minister has also condemned the Italian position, opening the way for political and diplomatic reprisals.
Gérald Darmanin thus denounced an “incomprehensible option” and an “unacceptable attitude” on the part of Rome.
“We regret that Italy has not fulfilled this duty of humanity,” he said. “France deeply regrets that Italy has decided not to behave as a responsible European country,” she added.
“It is the Italian government that will lose out”
Above all, he indicated a series of retaliatory measures against Rome:
“It is the Italian government that will lose out, because we had committed to Germany to relocate – 3,500 by the summer of 2023 – the people who would arrive in Italy, in particular due to the law of the sea. If we welcome these 234 migrants, we will not relocate any of the people we had promised to relocate during the weeks, the months to come, as long as Italy continues with this behavior contrary to international law, solidarity and the commitments of the Italian government before the arrival of new Italian authorities”, Gérald Darmanin detailed.
The hypothesis of additional sanctions?
The minister went further with the issue of Italy’s exclusion from this European solidarity mechanism: “The meeting I had with many counterparts showed that they were all aware that things would have to be organized differently so that Italy cannot take advantage of this European solidarity, while being selfish with a face of humanity that is difficult to understand when refugees, and in particular children (they are 57 years old, editor’s note) show up at their port.
“France will take measures to strengthen internal controls with Italy in the coming hours,” promised the Interior Minister, later stressing: “The reinforcement of our border between France and Italy will unfortunately show that we can also avoid a certain number of crossings.” across the Italian border”.
Gérald Darmanin made an additional observation, laden with diplomatic threats: “France will also draw all the consequences of the Italian attitude in the other aspects of its bilateral relationship.”
Source: BFM TV
