French authorities plan to expel 44 of the 234 migrants who arrived last week at the port of Toulon aboard the ‘Ocean Viking’, the rescue ship of the NGO SOS Mediterraneé, on the grounds that they are not entitled to protection on European soil.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, had already warned that the French government would sift the needs of all these people and this Tuesday, in an appearance before the National Assembly, has confirmed that almost 19 percent of the migrants will be expelled once their state of health is stabilized.
The figure is not definitive, but it would imply that there would finally be less than 200 migrants and refugees to be distributed among a total of twelve European countries. France has pledged to take in a third, while Germany will take in the same proportion.
Darmanin has responded in parliament to the criticisms of the far-right National Grouping, which has reproached the Executive for authorizing the landing of migrants previously rejected by Italy, with more restrictive policies after the arrival to power of Giorgia Meloni.
According to the minister, they acted out of «humanism», after the NGO warned of the risk to the lives of all migrants if they did not receive permission to dock in a safe port, reports the BFMTV channel. Three weeks passed between the first rescues and the moment when the ‘Ocean Viking’ arrived in the south of France.
