Paris-Rome spat exposes EU 'solidarity' rift on asylum

The European Commission says solidarity on migration remains — despite Paris refusing to relocate some 3,500 asylum seekers from Italy, under a French EU presidency-inspired proposal to distribute thousands of people across member states.

The French refusal follows a spat with Italy's rightwing government over the Ocean Viking vessel, which was denied a port by Rome to disembark 234 people rescued in the Mediterranean Sea. Ocean Viking eventually disembarked in Toulon, a French port cit...