Italy allows more migrants off rescue ships as standoff eases

Migrants disembark from the Norway-flagged Geo Barents rescue ship after having been allowed by Italian authorities (Salvatore Cavalli/AP)

The far-right-led Italian government’s weeks-long standoff with aid groups running rescue ships has partially eased after officials allowed all remaining migrants on two rescue ships to access port.

But a ship with 234 rescued migrants still at sea appealed to France to offer it a safe port after over two weeks of silence from Italy.