France calls for sanctions as Italy defiant on stranded migrant ship

EU states that refuse to accept migrants should face financial penalties, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, prompting a furious response from Rome on the eve of an emergency mini-summit in Brussels about the escalating crisis dividing Europe.

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Mr Macron's comments came after Italy's new populist government defiantly declared that its ports were closed to foreign-flagged rescue ships, after accusing fellow EU members of failing to share the burden of migrant arrivals.

The French president, speaking after talks in Paris with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said member states that benefit from EU cooperation but "claim national self-interest when it comes to the issue of migrants" should have sanctions imposed on them.

The French and Spanish leaders also supported the creation of closed reception centres, located in the countries where migrants often arrive first, to hold asylum-seekers while their claims are processed.

Mr Macron's comments drew a scathing response from Italy's new populist government.

Far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini denounced Macron's "arrogance" over the migrant issue.

"Six-hundred-and-fifty thousand landings in four years, 430,000 applications..., 170,000 apparent refugees currently housed in hotels, buildings and apartments at a cost exceeding five billion euros.

"If for the arrogant President Macron this is not a problem, we invite him to stop the insults and to demonstrate generosity by opening the many French ports and ceasing to push back women, children and men" the flashpoint Italian border town of Ventimiglia.

Meanwhile, a German charity vessel with more than 230 migrants aboard remained in limbo off the coast of Malta.

"The Lifeline, an illegal ship with 239 immigrants on board is in Maltese waters," Mr Salvini wrote on Facebook.

"These boats can forget about reaching Italy, I want to stop the business of trafficking and mafia," said Mr Salvini, whose country is on the frontline of the migrant crisis.

Malta also refused to take in the ship, but delivered humanitarian aid.

Mr Salvini's tough talk came on the eve of an informal mini-summit of 16 leaders in Brussels to address the thorny issue of how the EU can tackle the renewed influx of migrants and refugees seeking a new life in Europe.

Underscoring the divisions, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- which reject any suggestion of mandatory refugee resettlement among EU members -- said they would boycott the meeting.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis on Saturday said the timing of the mini-summit was "unfortunate" and that a real European solution should come through a full EU summit.

The crisis has also caused ructions in Germany, with Chancellor Angela Merkel facing a rebellion from her coalition allies over her policies.