Italy backs down on 3 migrant ships, 4th heads to Corsica

By NICOLE WINFIELD and BARBARA SURK
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — A European humanitarian group says its migrant rescue ship is heading to the French island of Corsica in hopes France will offer its 234 passengers a safe port. France has not publicly offered to take the Ocean Viking, but a spokesman for the SOS Mediterranee group said the ship was hoping France would eventually do so. The European Commission added to the pressure to find a safe port for the vessel, issuing a statement late Wednesday demanding that the passengers be allowed to immediately disembark “at the nearest place of safety.” The developments indicate Italy’s latest migration standoff is heading toward resolution after Rome backed down and allowed migrants from three other rescue ships to disembark on Italian soil.