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France and Italy wrangle over migrant ship with 234 people on board

France denounced as "unacceptable" Italy's refusal to take in a migrant ship, as the two countries wrangled over which should accept a vessel with 234 people aboard.

Published: 9 November 2022 10:09 CET

Pictured is the NGO SOS Mediterranee's rescue ship Ocean Viking.

Pictured is the NGO SOS Mediterranee's rescue ship Ocean Viking. A rescue vessel run by German charity Louise Michel has been detained by Italian authorities, according to the NGO and the Italian coastguard. Photo: NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP

The row centres on the Ocean Viking, a charity ship which has sailed away from Sicilian waters toward France after unsuccessfully waiting for permission to dock in Italy since late October.

Run by European charity SOS Mediterranée under a Norwegian flag, the ship appealed to France to accept it and it was expected to approach Corsica by Thursday.

A diplomatic row over its fate was building on Tuesday after Italy’s new right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked France for opening a port to the Ocean Viking – in anticipation of any confirmation, or denial, by France.

On Wednesday French government spokesman Olivier Véran branded Italy’s refusal to allow the ship to dock as “unacceptable.”

“The ship is currently in Italian territorial waters, there are extremely clear European rules that were accepted by the Italians,” Véran said, adding that “the current attitude of the Italian government, notably its declarations and refusal to accept the ship” were “unacceptable.”

Italy’s new far-right government, led by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, has vowed to stop the tens of thousands of migrants who arrive on the country’s shores each year.

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8 things you never knew about Andorra

This week, Andorra passed a law setting a minimum Catalan language requirement for foreign residents.

It’s not often the tiny, independent principality in the mountains makes the news – other than, perhaps, when its national football team loses (again) to a rather larger rival in international qualifying competitions.

The national side are due to play Spain in early June, as part of the larger nation’s warm-up for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. Here, then, in case you’re watching that match, at Estadio Nuevo Vivero, are a few facts about Andorra that you can astound your fellow football fans with…

Size matters

Small though it is – it has an area of just 468 square kilometres, a little more than half the size of the greater Paris area – there are five smaller states in Europe, 15 smaller countries in the world by area, and 10 smaller by population.

People

Its population in 2023 was 81,588. That’s fewer people than the city of Pau, in southwest France (which is itself the 65th largest town in France, by population).

High-living

The principality’s capital, Andorra la Vella (population c20,000 – about the same population as Dax) is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres above sea level.

Spoken words

The official language – and the one you’ll need for a residency permit – is Catalan. But visitors will find Spanish, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken, and a fair few people will speak some English, too.

Sport

We’ve already mentioned the football. But Andorra’s main claim to sporting fame is as a renowned winter sports venue. With about 350km of ski runs, across 3,100 hectares of mountainous terrain, it boasts the largest ski area in the Pyrenees.

Economic model

Tourism, the mainstay of the economy, accounts for roughly 80 percent of Andorra’s GDP. More than 10 million tourists visit every year.

It also has no sales tax on most items – which is why you’ll often find a queue at the French border as locals pop into the principality to buy things like alcohol, cigarettes and (bizarrely) washing powder, which are significantly cheaper.

Head of state

Andorra has two heads of state, because history. It’s believed the principality was created by Charlemagne (c748 – 814CE), and was ruled by the count of Urgell up to 988CE, when it was handed over to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The principality, as we know it today, was formed by a treaty between the bishop of Urgell and the count of Foix in 1278.

Today, the state is jointly ruled by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain and … the president of France, who (despite the French aversion to monarchy and nobility) has the title Prince of Andorra, following the transfer of the count of Foix’s claims to the Crown of France and, subsequently, to the head of state of the French Republic.

Military, of sorts

Andorra does have a small, mostly ceremonial army. But all able-bodied Andorran men aged between 21 and 60 are obliged to respond to emergency situations, including natural disasters.

Legally, a rifle should be kept and maintained in every Andorran household – though the same law also states that the police will supply a firearm if one is required.

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