A Sicilian court is poised to deliver its ruling on Friday regarding the case against Matteo Salvini, Italy’s vice premier, accused of unlawfully detaining 100 migrants on a humanitarian rescue vessel while serving as interior minister.
If found guilty of kidnapping related to the incident in 2019, Salvini could face a maximum sentence of six years. This situation arose when he barred the migrants from disembarking from the Open Arms rescue ship near Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island.
Conviction on charges resulting in a sentence exceeding five years would mean an automatic disqualification from holding public office. However, in Italy, court verdicts are not deemed final until all appeals have been thoroughly processed, a lengthy undertaking that can extend over several years. Salvini has expressed his determination to remain in his position regardless of the outcome.
Now serving as the transport minister in Premier Giorgia Meloni’s government, which is characterized by far-right policies, Salvini has consistently justified his actions as necessary for the protection of Italy’s borders.
Upon his arrival at the courthouse, he stated, “I have fulfilled my commitments, fighting against mass migration and diminishing the number of departures, landings, and fatalities at sea.” He added, “No matter the sentence, today is a significant day for me as I stand proud of defending my country. I would repeat all my decisions without hesitation.”
During the tense standoff, some migrants resorted to jumping overboard out of despair, while the ship’s captain sought permission to dock safely. Ultimately, a court directive permitted the remaining 89 migrants to disembark in Lampedusa.
Salvini adopted a tough stance on immigration while serving as interior minister from 2018 to 2019 under the first administration of former Premier Giuseppe Conte. He routinely denied entry to humanitarian rescue ships and accused organizations involved in migrant rescues of inadvertently facilitating human smuggling.
He has garnered support from Meloni, fellow government officials, and anti-immigrant European legislators, along with notable figures like Elon Musk, who voiced his backing on the social media platform X.
Since taking office in 2022, Meloni has intensified efforts to control migration, establishing agreements with North African countries to halt departures and planning centers in Albania designed to evaluate migrants rescued at sea without granting them entry into Italy. However, these centers have yet to become operational due to ongoing legal obstacles.
