France has changed its mind about taking a share of the 47 asylum seekers that recently disembarked from the Sea-Watch search-and-rescue ship in Sicily after a lengthy standoff, Italian interior ministry sources said Friday.
The ministry said Paris has said that it "will only take people who need protection, not economic migrants, and it added that it will support Italy in requesting more effective repatriations to some African countries, starting with Senegal", according to the sources.
"Now the expectation is for Paris to show the good will with deeds, cooperating to repatriate dozens of undocumented Senegalese who are on Italian territory as soon as possible". The news comes a day after Paris recalled its ambassador to Rome for consultations, complaining about "groundless attacks" by Italian government figures without precedent since World War II.
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