Migrants finally leave rescue ship at port in France

NICE, France — A maritime rescue ship docked Friday in a southern French port carrying 230 migrants whose fates have sparked a diplomatic dispute between France and Italy — a dispute that’s threatening EU efforts to share admission of asylum-seekers.

The French welcome for the Ocean Viking, though reluctant, unleashed fury from far-right rivals of the French government. Migrant advocates expressed relief, but lamented that it took weeks to find a harbor for the ship as Italy refused to let it dock.

The Ocean Viking disembarked its passengers at the Toulon port, where they were undergoing health and security checks at a military base, Var region prefect Evence Richard said. They were then sent in buses to the Mediterranean resort of Giens where they were expected to start asylum application procedures.

The passengers from Eritrea, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other nations include 57 children, according to European rescue group SOS Mediterranee, which operates the ship. More than 40 are unaccompanied minors. Some on the ship were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea three weeks ago, the group said.

The ship became the cause of a rift between France and Italy after Rome eventually granted three other private rescue ships permission to dock in Italy but refused the Ocean Viking. Premier Giorgia Meloni then praised France for taking the migrants in, although the French government had not said so publicly.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the passengers would ultimately be divided among France and other European Union countries.

As apparent retaliation for Italy’s behavior, Darmanin announced France’s withdrawal from a “solidarity” mechanism approved in June to reduce the pressure on front-line countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain by taking in asylum-seekers. French officials also announced new border checks with Italy.

Italy’s Meloni on Friday lashed back at what she said was France’s “incomprehensible and unjustified” measures.

The premier said she had a voter mandate to change the way Europe deals with mass migration and that Italy would no longer accept being the main disembarkation point for would-be asylum-seekers crossing the Mediterranean.