“Mission accomplished! Once again thanks to the work of the Italian government and the determination of the interior ministry, Europe has been forced to intervene and assume its responsibilities,” he said.
“Six countries have agreed to take the immigrants on board the Sea Watch3, coordinating with the European Commission: France, Portugal, Germany, Malta, Luxembourg and Romania.
“On the basis of the documentation gathered, an investigation should be opened to shed light on the conduct of the NGO”.
Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, confirmed on Wednesday that 47 people kept at sea for over a week on the Sea-Watch 3 migrant rescue ship could finally disembark after six countries came forward to take them in.
The people were rescued on 19 January off the coast of Libya and have been waiting off the coast of Sicily since Friday. As in the Diciotti case, Salvini gaain denied Sea-Watch 3 the right to dock, igniting criticism from the UN and prompting an emergency appeal to the European court of human rights by the German NGO that operates the boat.
In August last year, prosecutors in Agrigento, Sicily, placed Salvini under investigation after he prevented migrants from leaving the Diciotti. The ship had been docked for six days at the Sicilian port of Catania while Salvini continued a standoff with the EU to force member states to take in its mostly Eritrean passengers.
Salvini this week asked his government to deny prosecutors the right to try him on potential kidnapping charges over his order to prevent 177 people from disembarking a migrant boat. The investigation poses a risk to his criminal record.
“I could face up to 15 years of jail because I have stopped the disembarking of illegals in Italy,” Salvini explained on Facebook. “I’m speechless. Am I afraid? Not at all.”
In a letter to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published on Tuesday, Salvini said he was no longer sure he was ready to face a trial. “After reflecting on the whole affair, I believe the authorisation to try me must be denied,” he wrote.
“My judicial case is closely linked to my activities as interior minister and my strong will to keep the commitments made in the election campaign. I’m convinced that I acted in the supreme interest of the country and within the full respect of my mandate.
“I would do it all again. And I won’t give up,” he wrote, but added: “The judges should be denied authorisation.”