Refugees take shelter on rocky Italian seafront after being turned away from France

Migrants have been photographed sheltering on the rocky coastline in northern Italy after being unable to cross over the French border.

Around 50 people could be seen swaddled in silver emergency blankets on Sunday, after retreating from the French border back into the coastal village of Ventimiglia.

They had little choice but to shelter from the elements on the rocks and have been there a number of days. Red Cross workers and locals have been going down to the beach to provide food.

The group had broken off from around 200 others who have been protesting at the Ventimiglia border with France.

“Where are human rights? Where is humanity? It is a big problem for us,” said Naser Alden Abdulaziz, a migrant from Darfur, Sudan who was among the mostly from Sudanese, Libyan and Eritrean refugees.

Italy warned on Sunday that he would retaliate against the European Union if countries did not start fulfilling their promises to take it more asylum seekers.

Premier Matteo Renzi threatened an unspecified “Plan B” if the EU doesn't show more solidarity with Italy, which has borne the brunt of rescuing migrants at sea and providing initial assistance to them at overflowing reception centres across the country.

Additional reporting Press Association