Tensions mount between France and Italy over migrant rescue ship

Tensions increased between France and Italy on Wednesdayover the fate of an NGO ship carrying 234 migrants who had been rescued in the Mediterranean, with Paris describing the Italian government's reluctance to allow the ship to dock as "unacceptable."

It was the most recent instance of a dispute in Europe in recent years about where to land migrants who had been rescued while trying to cross into the continent from North Africa. Italy has grown increasingly upset at having to take in the majority of those saved.

The dispute is focused on the Ocean Viking, a charity ship that left Sicilian waters for France after trying in vain to land in Italy since late October.

The ship, which is operated by the European humanitarian organisation SOS Mediterranee and is flying the Norwegian flag, has asked France to accept it and is headed toward Corsica by Thursday.

"It's a total blockage on the part of the Italians," SOS Med director Sophie Beau told AFP, saying it had lodged 43 official requests with no response.

Along the northern coast of Sicily, the ship is headed for Sardinia and, maybe, France, where the charity has also requested port access.

It "still had no official response" from French officials as of Wednesday morning, according to Beau.

Even yet, Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister of Italy, stated in an interview that France had offered Marseille as a port of safety, as did the late-Tuesday statement from the office of Giorgia Meloni, the country's new far-right premier.

Paris, however, has not confirmed this, and on Wednesday, government spokesman Olivier Veran stated that the Ocean Viking was still in Italian territorial seas.

He deemed "unacceptable" the "current attitude of the Italian government, notably its declarations and refusal to accept the ship."

The Ocean Viking is the final of four NGO ships that have rescued more than 1,000 migrants who were stranded at sea in dilapidated boats during the past two weeks, the most recent of tens of thousands of people who have sailed for Europe in recent years.

(with inputs from agencies)