The humanitarian ship Ocean Viking has docked this Friday at the port of the Toulon naval base, in the south of France, after three weeks of wandering the Mediterranean. The 230 migrants on board, including 57 minors, have begun to be attended by the French authorities, who will proceed with their identification and the pertinent legal procedures for those who wish to apply for asylum.
The outcome of the Ocean Viking odyssey has caused a serious political crisis between France and Italy, a few days after French President Emmanuel Macron met in Rome with the new Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Paris refused for days to take in the migrants, arguing that, under international law, the ship had to go to the nearest and safest Italian port. Macron receives an avalanche of criticism from the right-wing and far-right opposition for what they describe as a dangerous precedent, for a cession that shows the contradictions and inconsistencies of his immigration policy, which claims to be rigid but, at the same time, bows to Italy and includes plans to regularize the undocumented and employ them in sectors with a lack of labor.
French authorities prevented the migrants getting off the boat from being filmed. 600 personnel from the police, civil protection and other units were mobilized to deal with the new arrivals and guarantee their safety. They will be taken to the Giens peninsula, to a "waiting zone" -with international status- where they can be held for 20 days to clarify their legal situation. There are 9 countries that have offered to host them. Italy is not among them. But it is not ruled out that a part could be returned to the countries of origin, although putting it into practice is very difficult.
The extreme right called a protest rally in Toulon. The arrival of the Ocean Viking gives them arguments in their fight with the Government and their strategy of wearing down a Government that does not enjoy a majority in the National Assembly.
