European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Tuesday that he considered Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini's tough stance on migrants to be mistaken while stressing that Italy should not be left to cope with the problem on its own. "Salvini's message is not the right one," Moscovici said in Paris, after the interior minister refused to let the Aquarius migrant-rescue ship have access to Italian ports earlier this month.
"Preferring to retreat on yourself than opening up to the world amounts to turning your back on the tradition of hospitality that is written in the values of our history. "But the message behind Salvini's gesture should be listened to.
"The member States cannot leave Italy on its own with the migratory crisis". Salvini is also at the centre of attention for saying on Monday that he wants to have a sort of census of people of Roma ethnicity in Italy.
With regard to this issue, Moscovici called on Salvini to "respect the rule of law".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
