Meloni hits out at ‘aggressive’ France over migrant boats

GIORGIA MELONI, Italy’s prime minister, condemned “aggressive” France for tearing up a refugee deal as a diplomatic row deepened over who should deal with migrant boats.

Paris accepted the Ocean Viking and the 234 migrants onboard – a first for a boatload from the Mediterranean – but said it would suspend a previous plan to take in 3,500 refugees in Italy, and urged other EU nations to do the same. French police have been told to reinforce controls at Italian border crossings.

“I was struck by the aggressive reaction of the French government, which is incomprehensible and unjustified,” Ms Meloni told a press conference in Rome.

Italy’s new hard-right leader rejected France’s claims that her government was shirking its responsibilities to take migrants crossing the Mediterranean.

She said that on Thursday alone Italy accepted 600 migrants, and had taken in almost 90,000 so far this year.

“What made it [France] so angry? Does it make them angry that Italy must be the only possible port for disembarkations in the Mediterranean?” Ms Meloni said. “This is not written in any agreement. I believe it is not fair.”

She said “something is not working” in the EU’S management of those who set off from north Africa trying to reach Europe. “I want to find a common solution,” she said.

The boatload of migrants was allowed to dock in France’s southern port of Toulon at about 9am local time yesterday, with passengers allowed to get off.

Marine Le Pen criticised the decision to take in the migrants, saying it was “not Italy’s fault” and accusing the charities behind the boats of being “complicit with people smugglers”.