League leader Matteo Salvini on Tuesday attacked the government after asylum seekers under quarantine managed to escape from two migrant centres in Sicily and defended how he implemented his tough policy on migrants when he was interior minister.
The government has said most of the runaway migrants have been rounded up and it is sending the army to watch over these centres.
Salvini opened fire on Premier Giuseppe Conte's government as spoke about a decision that the floor of the Senate is set to make about whether to grant a request for him to stand trial for allegedly 'kidnapping' rescued migrants in the Open Arms case, one of a string of cases stemming from his former closed ports policy against NGO-run migrant rescue ships.
The Open Arms rescue ship spent almost three weeks at sea last year after Salvini refused to give the OK for it to dock.
Regarding this case, Salvini said he was "proud of having protected Italy and the Italian people.
"I would do it again," he added.
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