London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 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
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×