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France to grant asylum to one-third of Ocean Viking migrants

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Paris, Nov 11 (Prensa Latina) The Ocean Viking, a humanitarian ship carrying 231 immigrants who were rescued in late October off the coast of Libya, docked at the military port of Toulon, in southern France, where they were subjected to a medical examination and their asylum applications were registered.

France promised to take in “one-third” of the foreigners, while the rest could be moved to other European countries, according to the European solidarity mechanism introduced this summer.

French Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin said that nine countries have already agreed to welcome the migrants (Germany, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Luxembourg, and Ireland), although he explained that those who do not meet the criteria as asylum seekers “will be deported directly.”

The arrival of the humanitarian ship, after being waiting to be granted a safe port for 20 days in the Mediterranean, unleashed a confrontation between the governments of France and Italy, due to the latter’s refusal to allow the Ocean Viking to dock in any of its ports, as established by international maritime law.

On Thursday night, Darmanin denounced Italy’s “unacceptable”, “irresponsible” and “inhumane” behavior, and noted that the executive of far-right President Giorgia Meloni has “decided to not behave like a responsible European State.”

In addition, the minister informed that France was temporarily renouncing the relocation of 3,500 immigrants currently in Italy, adding that there will be “extremely strong consequences in French-Italian relations.”

jg/llp/mem/acm

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