(Reuters) The European Union must introduce a new, automatic system of taking in migrants saved from the Mediterranean, the leaders of Italy and France said on Wednesday, as they sought to patch up bruised bilateral relations.
Italy has long complained that it has been left alone to deal with the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have crossed the sea in recent years looking for a better life in Europe.
The issue has caused particular tensions between Rome and Paris, with Italy complaining that French non-governmental organizations have been instrumental in rescuing migrants but that France has not done enough to help take them in.
But French President Emmanuel Macron has leapt on the fact that a new, pro-European government has taken office in Italy to try to reset ties and resolve the long-standing row.
