France on Sunday temporarily closed its southern borders to trains carrying hundreds of North African immigrants from Italy, evoking a strong response from Rome.
The French government's move to block the trains from entering France through Menton had led to the trains being held up at the Italian border station of Ventimiglia for hours on Sunday, infuriating the Italian government.
However, the trains were allowed to resume their journey into France later after Italy lodged a formal complaint with Paris, stressing that the French move was "illegitimate and in clear violation of general European principles."
Soon after blocking the trains, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini ordered his ministry to take appropriate diplomatic steps "to express Italy's firm protest and ask for explanations" regarding the French decision.
Also on Sunday, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said in an interview with Sky TG24 TV that the immigrants should be allowed to travel across Europe as the Italian government had provided them with the required documents in accordance with the rules of Schengen member states.
"The migrants have temporary residence permits and we've given them everything they need. This has been recognized by the European Commission, so freedom of travel is possible for all those who want to go to France," Maroni insisted.
Earlier, Italy had provoked France and several other European countries by providing migrants with temporary residency permits and other related documents required for traveling across the border-free Schengen zone consisting of 22 of the 27 European Union member-states and three other European nations.
The developments came just days after France and Italy agreed to step up sea and air patrols aimed at curbing the influx of thousands of illegal migrants from North Africa into Europe. Most of the immigrants, mainly from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, prefer to stay in France as they speak the French language.
Currently, Italy is struggling to cope with the recent surge in illegal North African migrants arriving on its shores. Italy says that more than 22,000 illegal migrants, mostly from Tunisia and Libya, have landed in the country's southern islands since mid-January.
The sudden increase in the flow of immigrants follows a popular revolt in Tunisia that ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power as well as an ongoing armed uprising against the autocratic regime of Moammar Qadhafi in Libya.
The sudden influx of illegal migrants had prompted the Italian government to declare a humanitarian emergency and request the European Union for support in tackling the crisis. EU's border agency, Frontex, responded to the Italian request by providing patrol boats, aircraft and up to 50 personnel to help Italy in its efforts to contain the exodus.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
May 01, 2026 15:54 ET Central banks dominated the economics news flow this week with almost all major ones announcing their latest policy decisions and many boosted expectations for a rate hike in June. In other news, several countries released the preliminary data for first quarter economic growth. In the U.S., comments by Fed Chair Jerome Powell were also in focus as his term ends this month.