According to Media report: An Italian prosecutor has called for a six-year prison sentence for right-wing League leader Matteo Salvini over his 2019 decision to block more than 100 migrants from disembarking in Italy. Salvini, then serving as the interior minister, is now the deputy prime minister and transport minister in Giorgia Meloni’s government. He faces charges of kidnapping after leaving the migrants stranded at sea.
The migrants were eventually evacuated after prosecutors ordered the seizure of their ship. At a hearing in Palermo, the prosecutor urged imprisonment for Salvini, but the final verdict will be delivered by a senior judge after a three-stage judicial process. A conviction could result in Salvini being barred from holding government office.
Salvini, defending his actions, stated, “I would do it all again: defending borders from illegal immigrants is not a crime.” During his 14-month tenure as interior minister, Salvini frequently blocked migrant boats from docking in Italy, arguing that rescue charities were aiding people smuggling.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose centre-right government includes Salvini’s League, expressed disbelief at the potential sentencing. “It is unbelievable that a minister risks six years in prison for defending the nation’s borders,” Meloni wrote, offering full solidarity with Salvini.
Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has pledged tougher immigration policies while simultaneously allowing legal migration to address labour shortages. Recent figures show a significant decrease in irregular migrants arriving in Italy by sea, with 44,675 arrivals so far in 2024—around two-thirds lower than the same period last year.
