Italy’s ports are closed for illegal immigrants

Matteo Salvini warned that no NGO-operated ships carrying migrants would be allowed to dock at Italian ports. More than 600 migrants are expected to reach Italian shores on Saturday. As a reminder, more than 600,000 migrants have travelled just from Libya to reach Italy since 2013.

“Italy no longer wants to be an accomplice of human traffickers and contribute to the business of illegal immigration. As a father and as a minister, they can attack and threaten me all they want, but I won’t give up and I’m doing it for everybody’s sake,” Salvini said.

Salvini’s post specifically targeted NGO-operated two ships flying Dutch flags — which he described as “waiting for their load of human beings abandoned by smugglers” in Libyan waters and insisted they would not be granted access to Italian ports.

A private German NGO working onboard one of the vessels hit back against Salvini, saying in a tweet “the fascists” were providing them with “advertising.” Salvini promptly replied the assertion was “crazy” and that the “good days” for migrants and charities are over.