Italy-France tensions flare as migrants head to Spain

Italy escalated its standoff with France over migration Wednesday, challenging Paris to take in more asylum-seekers and demanding an apology after the French president accused the new populist Italian government of cynical, irresponsible behaviour by refusing entry to a rescue ship with hundreds of migrants aboard.

Italy summoned the French ambassador for consultations, cancelled a planned meeting between finance ministers and warned that diplomatic relations had been compromised.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini chided French President Emmanuel Macron by name during a speech before Parliament’s upper chamber.

“I speak in the name of a government but I also have the aim of speaking for a people who have nothing to learn from anyone about generosity, volunteerism, welcome and solidarity,” Salvini said to applause in the Senate chamber.

Italy has faced criticism - and praise from others - for turning away the Aquarius rescue ship, which was stuck in the Mediterranean Sea for days with 629 migrants onboard.

Rome argues other European countries must step in, and that its passengers were never in danger.

Two Italian naval vessels are escorting the ship to Spain after the Socialist government of new Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stepped up and offered the Aquarius safe harbour.

The Aquarius and two Italian ships that have taken some of the migrants are now expected to arrive in Valencia on Saturday night, weather conditions permitting, said Sophie Beau, co-founder of the charity SOS Mediterranee that operates the ship.

The port is some 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from where the vessel had been on standby since Saturday night.

“It’s a relief for everyone, our teams and of course above all for the survivors to know that they are finally allowed to head to a safe port in Europe,” Beau told reporters in Marseille, France.

Lashing out at France, Salvini said it had taken in only a fraction of the 9,816 migrants it had pledged to welcome under a 2015 EU relocation plan to relieve frontline countries Italy and Greece of the burden of caring for newly arrived migrants.

The EU plan largely flopped, with only a handful of countries taking in their share: France took 635, according to EU figures.