Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has said that "we are no longer the doormats of Europe" on migrants after Spain at the weekend took in over 600 people saved by migrant-rescue ship Aquarius following Rome's decision to deny the NGO-run vessel access to Italian ports. He also said that Spain should take in "another 66,000" migrants.
"Finally the Germans, the French, the Belgians, the Dutch and even the Spanish are listening to us," said Salvini, who is also deputy premier and leader of the League party. The minister said he would seek to increase deportations of migrants whose asylum requests are rejected and work on a plan for Africa featuring development interventions to reduce migrant flows.
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