Rescue ship appeals to France for port after Italy’s silence

Migrants peak out from the German humanitarian ship Rise Above as they dock at the southern Italian port town of Reggio Calabria (Valeria Ferraro/AP)

A humanitarian group has appealed to France for a port where it can take 234 rescued migrants after over two weeks of silence from Italy’s new hard-right government, which refused to offer multiple private rescue boats a safe harbour.

European aid group SOS Mediteranee said the situation on the ship it operates has reached “a critical limit”.