Italian mayor claims there are 'no migrants' in Malta as countries continue to spar over Mediterranean migrant crisis

Comments come days after countries came to stalemate over which country would be responsible for 450 rescued migrants

Lucy Pasha-Robinson
Thursday 19 July 2018 18:34 BST
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Susanna Ceccardi made the claims in front of the Prime Minister of Malta's residence
Susanna Ceccardi made the claims in front of the Prime Minister of Malta's residence

An Italian politician has claimed there are “no migrants” in Malta as the two countries continue their feud over the Mediterranean migrant crisis.

Susanna Ceccardi, a mayor from the far-right Lega Nord or Northern League party, accused Europe of “emptying the barrel of migration onto Italy” as she spoke in front of the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's office, the Auberge de Castille.

“Walking around this island’s streets, you won’t see a single migrant," she said. "I’ve been here one day now and people I spoke to here tell me you won’t see any migrants, simply because Europe has emptied the barrel of migration onto Italy.

“We’re now punching our fists at the tables of Europe as well as Rome’s.”

The mayor, from Cascina, claimed the League’s leader Matteo Salvini was the only party acting to stop migrants enjoying “the good life” in Italy and blamed the country’s leftist parties of fuelling the “business” of migration.

It comes just days after Italy and Malta came to a stalemate over which country would be responsible for 450 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean.

The migrants were spotted near the Italian island of Linosa and more than 100 nautical miles from Malta. But Mr Salvini refused to let them dock, instead ordering the boats to Malta.

Malta in turn refused to accept the migrants, claiming the ship was closer to Italy.

The migrants were spotted near the Italian island of Linosa and more than 100 nautical miles from Malta. But Mr Salvini refused to let them dock, instead ordering the boats to Malta.

Malta in turn refused to accept the migrants, claiming the ship was closer to Italy.

Mr Salvini, Italy’s interior minister, has promised to block further arrivals of migrant boats, who are rescued at sea by ships from anti-trafficking and border control missions.

He has also banned charity rescue ships from docking in Italian ports, claiming they aid human traffickers.

The number of people who have drowned has “skyrocketed” in recent months in the wake of Italy's tougher stance.

More than 600 individuals are thought to have been killed in the central Mediterranean in the past four weeks alone, representing half of the deaths to have taken place on the hazardous crossing so far in 2018.

Last month, Italy blocked a ship from disembarking with 630 migrants rescued from sea.

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