Italy backs down on 3 migrant ships, 4th heads to Corsica
Associated PressROME — A European humanitarian group said Wednesday its migrant rescue ship was heading to the French island of Corsica in hopes France will offer its 234 passengers a safe port, as a diplomatic standoff intensified after Italy relented and allowed migrants from three other rescue ships to disembark on Italian soil. The European Commission added to the pressure to find a safe port for the Ocean Viking, issuing a statement late Wednesday demanding that the passengers — some of whom have been at sea for nearly three weeks — be allowed to immediately disembark “at the nearest place of safety.” The statement was unusual since the Commission hasd remained quiet on the drama all week, refusing to get involved except to restate that it’s up to member countries to handle search and rescue operations and disembarkation matters, not Brussels. Spokesman Olivier Veran told France Info radio that the Ocean Viking “is intended to be welcomed in Italy” since it was in Italian territorial waters and said Italy’s refusal to allow passengers to disembark was “unacceptable.” Since Italy is the top beneficiary of the European Union financial solidarity system, he demanded that “Italy plays its role and respects its European commitments.” By late Tuesday, the remaining passengers on three other humanitarian-operated ships that Italy had initially refused to take in had disembarked at Italian ports. In the statement prematurely announcing a French decision to open its port to the Ocean Viking, she said it was important to “continue this line of European collaboration with the countries most exposed to find a shared solution.” “The immigration emergency is a European issue and must be dealt with as such, with full respect of human rights and the principle of legality,” she said.