A maritime rescue ship docked on Friday at a port in southern France carrying 230 migrants whose fate sparked a diplomatic dispute between France and Italy - a conflict that threatens the European Union's efforts to share asylum seekers.

The French welcome of the Ocean Viking, albeit reluctant, also unleashed anger from far-right opponents of the French government. Migrant advocates expressed relief but regretted that it took weeks to find a port for the ship as Italy refused to allow it to dock, and vowed on Friday to return their ships to the Mediterranean to rescue others in distress.

Also, Evens Richard, governor of the Var region, said that the Ocean Viking ship disembarked its passengers at the port of Toulon, where they underwent health and security checks at a military base. They were then sent by buses to the Mediterranean resort of Giens where they were expected to begin the asylum application procedures.

According to the European rescue group SOS Mediterranee, which operates the ship, the passengers come from Eritrea, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other countries, including 57 children. The youngest traveler is 3 years old, and there are more than 40 unaccompanied minors.

The organization also said that some on board were rescued in the Mediterranean three weeks ago. The French Coast Guard boarded the Ocean Viking on Thursday to assist four passengers who needed urgent medical attention onshore.

The ship became a source of dispute between France and Italy after Rome eventually granted three other private rescue ships permission to dock in Italy but refused Ocean Viking. Then Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised France for accepting the migrants, even though the French government did not say so publicly. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the passengers would eventually be divided between France and other EU countries.

As a clear retaliatory response to Italy's behavior, Darmanin announced France’s withdrawal from the "solidarity" mechanism approved in June to reduce pressure on frontline countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain by hosting asylum seekers. French officials also announced new border checks with Italy. While politicians fought over the 230 people aboard the Ocean Viking ship, they represent a small fraction of those who fled global crises this year seeking refuge in Europe.

From January to August this year, France received 82,535 asylum applications, more than any EU country except Germany. Italy ranked fifth with 43,750 asylum applications. France's reaction appeared to surprise Italy. Meloni criticized what she called the French "aggressive," "incomprehensible, and unjustified" measures on Friday. The Prime Minister said she has a mandate from voters to change how Europe deals with mass migration and that Italy will no longer accept being the main landing point for potential asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean, adding: "This is not written in any agreement," noting that Italy has received nearly 90,000 migrants so far this year. The EU redistribution agreement calls for resettling 8,000 of them in 13 member states; so far, 117 have been relocated to France.

Additionally, advocacy groups agree that France was too slow in processing asylum requests as part of the solidarity agreement. The SOS Mediterranee ship said on Friday it plans to return the Ocean Viking to sea "despite obstacles." Doctors Without Borders, whose ship Geo Barents was seized in the recent migration tragedy, said: "These operations are and will be a response to irresponsible European and national policies that refuse to help those at sea."

Italian news reports stated that French President Emmanuel Macron and Meloni agreed at the UN Climate Summit in Egypt for France to host the Ocean Viking, but the Italian government undermined the verbal agreement by prematurely claiming victory in the standoff. Additionally, France's actions strengthened Meloni's center-left opponents, who said the outcome isolated Italy from its European partners at a time when it needs European solidarity to deal with mass migration and other issues.

Democratic Party MP Piero Fassino wrote on Twitter, "Showing strength against migrants not only fails but also provokes international isolation and loses credibility." "Entering into battles with partners like France is the wrong thing to do, especially when you need allies, which we will not find now." In France, far-right politicians unleashed a barrage of criticism against Macron.