Prosecutors in Italy are pushing for a six-year prison sentence for Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini over his decision in August 2019 to block a migrant rescue ship from docking.
The vessel, operated by the Open Arms charity, was stranded at sea for nearly three weeks before a court order forced it to dock on the island of Lampedusa.
Salvini, who was serving as Italy’s interior minister at the time, is facing charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty, accusations he vehemently denies.
On Saturday, Salvini defended his actions, stating he had been protecting Italy from becoming “a refugee camp for all of Europe,” and declared himself “guilty of defending Italy and Italians.”
The Open Arms ship had 147 migrants aboard, rescued off the Libyan coast, when Salvini refused to allow it to dock. Lampedusa, a frequent landing point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, has seen thousands of migrants attempting to reach Europe in recent years. Salvini’s “closed ports” policy, which aimed to discourage human traffickers, was central to his tenure as interior minister.
During the trial, crew members testified that conditions on the ship worsened during the standoff, with deteriorating health and sanitation, including a scabies outbreak. Prosecutor Geri Ferrara emphasized that human rights must always take precedence over state sovereignty in a democratic system.
Salvini, however, maintained during his January testimony that he did not believe the situation on the ship was critical. The trial, which began in October 2021, is expected to reach a verdict next month. If convicted, Salvini faces both a prison term and a potential ban from holding public office.
Reacting to the prosecutor’s request, Salvini took to social media platform X, asserting, “Defending Italy is not a crime and I will not give up, not now, not ever.” He credited his government’s policies with reducing the number of migrant arrivals and deaths in the Mediterranean. “This Spanish ship was never blocked from going anywhere—except Italy. We could no longer be Europe’s refugee camp.”
According to UN data, sea arrivals in Italy fell to 11,471 in 2019, a significant drop compared to previous years. Salvini leads the Northern League party, known for its strong stance against illegal immigration, and currently serves in a coalition government with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Five Star Movement.
Meloni expressed her “full solidarity” with Salvini, stating that it was “unbelievable” for an Italian minister to face prison for “defending the nation’s borders.” She warned that turning the defense of Italy’s borders into a crime could set a dangerous precedent.
