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France says Italy's ban on migrant charity ship is 'unacceptable'

09 November 2022 15:20 (UTC +04:00)

France criticised Italy's refusal to let a charity ship carrying over 200 migrants dock in its ports, with a government spokesman on Wednesday calling the attitude of the new rightist government in Rome "unacceptable", APA reports citing Reuters.

The Ocean Viking vessel has been at sea for more than two weeks since its first rescue in the central Mediterranean and is now heading to France hoping to find a place to disembark its 234 migrants there.

Italy's new rightist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration is cracking down on charity vessels, urging them to take rescued people elsewhere and saying Italy cannot alone receive arrivals from North Africa.

Late on Tuesday, Italy expressed its "appreciation" for "France's decision" to share responsibility for the migrants.

However, a spokesperson for the French government said diplomatic talks were still underway with Rome to try to resolve the fate of the ship and said Italy had to help those in distress at sea.