(ANSA) - Rome, May 20 - Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Monday that his tough stance on stopping the flow of migrants from North Africa was saving lives rather than putting people in danger. "There have only been two deaths at sea in 2019," Salvini told La7 television. "The figures show Salvini is a good Christian". The UNHCR has estimated 402 people have died or gone missing at sea this year. Salvini referred to his faith after brandishing a rosary during a rally in Milan at the weekend.
Leading members of the Catholic church criticized the move with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin warning that "invoking God for ourselves is always dangerous".
"I show my faith by saving human lives, deaths at sea and arrivals via sea are down 90%, and by combatting human traffickers," Salvini said.
"I'm happy to have the support women and men of the Church.
"I'm working to bring back defence of Europe's Judeo-Christian roots, which have been denied and forgotten by the Brussels bureaucrats who are slaves to the powers-that-be and the world of finance".
Deputy Premier and 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio, meanwhile. accused Salvini of being in a state of confusion over the management of asylum seekers from North Africa.
Salvini is furious that a group of migrants were allowed to disembark in Lampedusa at the weekend in defiance of his policy of closing Italy's ports to NGO-run search-and-rescue ships. "I don't understand the obsession with relocations (to other EU States)," Di Maio said. "Up until yesterday, they were fine and, now they we have them, Salvini is no longer happy with them.
"We are on the way to resolving the migrant problem and the League goes all at sea, because it has run out of arguments.
"If relocation works, what will they talk about? "They are a broken record, they only talk about migrants, and when they don't know what to say they open fire.
"I hope they return to normal on May 26 (after the European elections)". Di Maio added that he will present a package to allocate one billion euros in aid to support families at the cabinet meeting set to take place later on Monday.