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Closed Ports: Salvini Says Refugees ‘Can Forget About Reaching Italy’

© AP Photo / Carmelo ImbesiMigrants wait to disembark from the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Phoenix in the Sicilian port town of Augusta, Italy, Sunday, June 7, 2015
Migrants wait to disembark from the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) ship Phoenix in the Sicilian port town of Augusta, Italy, Sunday, June 7, 2015 - Sputnik International
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Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has restated that his country is set to keep its ports closed to migrant vessels. His remark comes amid an ongoing migration row in Europe, sparked by Rome’s refusal to take in refugees.

"These boats can forget about reaching Italy, I want to stop the business of trafficking and mafia," Matteo Salvini, the far-right League party leader, said on Facebook on Saturday, referring to migrant rescue vessels which are not allowed to dock in Italy.

Lifeline and Seesuch, two migrant rescue ships operated by the German charity Mission Lifeine, have been making headlines in recent weeks. Italian authorities have threatened to seize the vessels, questioning their registration. While Seesuch has docked in Malta, Lifeline, which is currently carrying 239 refugees on board, is still stranded with no port after both Malta and Italy barred it from bringing refugees to their shores.

Migrants are seen in a rubber dinghy as they are rescued by the crew of the Mission Lifeline rescue boat in the central Mediterranean Sea, June 21, 2018 - Sputnik International
Carpe Diem: Italy Moves to Seize Two German NGO-Run Migrant Rescue Ships

Earlier this month, Rome refused to take in Aquarius, an NGO-operated rescue vessel with over 600 passengers, forcing it to arrive in a Spanish port and sparking a diplomatic row in Europe.

READ MORE: Italy's Deputy PM Slams NGO For Calling Him Fascist For Banning Migrant Ships

Matteo Salvini has threatened to seize rescue vessels or bar them from Italy's ports as he tries to keep his word on campaign promises to curb the immigrant influx.

Italy's right-wing government, which took office three weeks ago, adopted a hardline policy on migration, including refugee boats bringing people fleeing conflicts and poverty in Northern Africa and the Middle East.

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