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France wins migrants row with Italy

Paris: Paris crowed victory in its month-long immigration row with Italy when the European Union's Home Affairs Commissioner declared France had a right to temporarily halt a rail link between the two countries.

Several trains carrying human rights activists and Tunisian migrants holding three-month residence permits issued by Italy were stopped at the border by French police on the grounds there was concern for “public order”. “It was a temporary, unique interruption due to public order. The traffic is flowing normally now. Apparently they had the right to do this,” said Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom.

French authorities said the trains entering France from Italy carried hundreds of illegal Tunisian migrants without valid papers or the ability to support themselves.

The Schengen zone that includes countries like Spain, France, Italy, Austria Germany and several others allows immigrants with valid “Schengen” visas or resident permits to circulate freely in the Schengen zone.

Since January, Italy has seen a steady influx of Tunisian and Libyan refugees fleeing instability in their homelands, landing on the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa. Italy's appeals for help went unheeded by its EU partners. Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni then hit upon the idea of giving the over 20,000 migrants three-month temporary residence permits which he claimed would allow them to circulate through the Schengen zone. France refused to honour those permits declaring them illegal. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini described the blocking of the trains “illegal” and instructed the Italian Ambassador to France to lodge a protest.

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