Italian minister defends security decree, comments on Bannon
953 views · Published 16 December 2018 · 3:06 · Indexed 4 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(10 Dec 2018) Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini hit back on Monday against those who have criticized his security and immigration decree, saying they had failed to read it or else they would see it strengthens the rights of genuine refugees. Salvini was addressing reporters at a news conference in Rome. Thousands of migrants in Italy are anxiously waiting to see if they will lose their housing and benefits following approval of a government-backed law that aims to reduce the number of migrants granted humanitarian protections. Aid groups say eventually the law could affect as many as 20,000 people as their humanitarian permits expire. It was passed at the same time that Italy's populist, anti-migrant government announced it wouldn't attend the signing ceremony in Morocco next week of the UN Global Compact on migration. The law, dubbed the "Salvini Decree," is the latest measure taken by Italy's government to crack down on the more than 640,000 migrants who have arrived in Italy since 2014, most fleeing Libya aboard smugglers' boats. Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister, told foreign journalists in Rome that he wanted to strengthen the relationship between Italy and Germany, claiming the Franco-German political alliance had brought the European Union little. Italy and Germany were the continent's big industrial forces, he said, and a closer friendship between the countries would be a fresh "impetus" for Europe. Commenting on the "yellow vest" anti-government protests across France, Salvini said he understands "the economic, cultural and social motives behind the movement" but he condemned "all forms of violence". "And I remember how only a few months ago Macron was the champion of the new Europe for all the 'experts' of the Italian left." he added. Italy's right-wing interior minister also spoke of former Trump administration adviser Steve Bannon. He described Bannon as "stimulating", but suggested that he doesn't understand Europe's diversity and complexities, and stressed at that "the destiny of Europe is in the hands of Europeans, no one else." Matteo Salvini met over the summer with Bannon, who is reported to be planning a political consulting strategy to advance far-right parties in Europe. The Guardian newspaper has reported that the effort could be illegal in many EU countries. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d784ff008719af357c9fdd00ef3ad8db
