Mayor apologises for 'send them to Barbagia' migrant remark

(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 9 - Como Mayor Alessandro Rapinese on Tuesday apologised for saying Italy's illegal migrants should be sent to Barbagia, an impenetrable mountainous inland area of Sardinia.
    "I have nothing against Barbagia, I only meant they should be sent to an uninhabited area because they cause disasters in densely inhabited areas," he told ANSA.
    He said the reaction to his remarks had, however, "shown that no one wants them (migrants)".
    'Barbagia' is commonly used in Italian to refer to the boondocks, or boonies.
    Officials in the Barbagia area and across Sardinia had protested against Rapineses's remarks.
    Rapinese is a representative of a centre-right civic list and is not a member of the anti-migrant League party. (ANSA).