BRUSSELS: European interior ministers gathered for crisis talks on Friday as an ugly row between Paris and Rome over how to handle would-be refugees forced EU migration reform back onto their agenda. A dozen EU members agreed to take on 8,000 asylum seekers — with France and Germany taking 3,500 each — but so far just 117 relocations have taken place. ‘Nothing new’But after Italy refused responsibility for the Ocean Viking, France has declared that it no longer wants to both allow ships to arrive from Italian waters and take in thousands more. “Obviously the meeting was set up following the spat between Italy and France over the migrants aboard the Ocean Viking,” a European diplomat said. The plan would see a closer coordination between EU and NGOs on rescue of migrants whose makeshift, overcrowded boats are in difficulty.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 26, 2022 02:18 UTC