London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025

France U-turns on migrant deal with Italy

France U-turns on migrant deal with Italy

France has suspended plans to take in 3,500 refugees turned away by Italy, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday. The interior minister called Rome’s refusal to accept a boat with 234 people “selfish,” and scrapped an earlier refugee accord.
France has canceled plans to take 3,500 immigrants turned away by Italy, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday. However, Paris will allow more than 200 migrants stuck on a boat in Italian waters to dock in the country.

Darmanin told reporters that France will allow the Ocean Viking, a ship that rescues mostly African migrants at sea and ferries them to Europe, to dock in Toulon. The ship, along with similar NGO-operated vessels, has been stuck off the coast of Italy for several weeks after the Italian government refused it permission to dock.

Calling Italy’s refusal “selfish,” Darmanin said that France had decided “to make up for the Italian government's unacceptable behavior and to invite the ship to come to the military port of Toulon.”

Of the 234 people on board, the minister said that France would house a third, with another third going to Germany and the rest shared among other EU countries.

However, Darmanin said that France would renege on a pre-existing deal to take in roughly 3,500 migrants currently housed in Italy, and would tighten controls along its Italian border. 

Successive Italian governments have argued that their country bears an unfair burden when it comes to taking in migrants, and have called on other EU members to share the load. Recently-elected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also promised to crack down on illegal immigration, which during the first nine months of this year, soared across the EU to levels unseen since 2016, according to data from the bloc’s border agency, Frontex.

Her efforts to turn migrant ships away from Italian ports have been met with resistance from the charities in charge of the vessels, with one, SOS Humanity, accusing Rome of violating European Law and the Geneva Refugee Convention and threatening legal action.

In France, Darmanin has also vowed to take a tougher stance on immigration. Speaking to Le Monde last week, he said that a new bill would expedite the deportation of criminal foreigners while making it easier for legal immigrants to obtain work permits for sectors experiencing a shortage of labor. 

The bill has been opposed from different sides of the political spectrum, with right wing leader Marine Le Pen accusing Darmanin of attempting to flood the country with foreign workers, and the left wing NUPES alliance criticizing him for exploiting these same workers.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
×