ROME – Interior Minister Matteo Salvini claimed victory on Tuesday after several European countries stood up against the proposed reforms of the Dublin Regulation at an EU justice and home affairs council in Luxembourg, political sources said, whilst his accusation that Tunisia was sending “convicts” to Italy provoked fierce reactions.

 Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Salvini, asserted that reforms to the Dublin agreement, which identifies the responsible country for non-EU asylum applications, would “further penalise [Italy] and the other countries of the Mediterranean, favouring the interests of northern Europe.”

 Six further countries joined Italy in rejecting the draft for reform to the Dublin Regulation, including Spain, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.

 Salvini has continued with his rigid anti-migrant outlook, calling on an end to NGO rescue boat operations in the Mediterranean and the expulsion of half a million undocumented migrants from Italian soil.

 His inattentiveness towards the recent murder of Malian migrant, and ensuing protests in San Ferdinando, has triggered widespread criticism across the country as anger spills out over Italian borders.

 In a hectic introduction to life as Interior Minister, the Tunisian foreign ministry slammed Salvini’s assertion, during a trip to migration hotspot Pozzallo in Sicily, that the North African country “often exports convicts” across the Mediterranean.

 They described their “deep amazement” at Salvini’s rash remarks which have seen tensions soar, threatening cooperative efforts between the two countries to manage migration flows.

 The anti-migrant League leader did, however, receive the backing of anti-migrant Belgian Asylum Minister, Theo Francken, for his hard-line stance on sealing Italian borders, who said that he followed Salvini throughout his election campaign.

 “I think it’s positive if Italy starts rejecting migrants on its coasts and doesn't let them enter Sicily anymore,” Francken added, hoping to see a “crackdown” on Mediterranean crossings from the new Italian government.

 Salvini has since said he would be willing to meet his Tunisian counterpart in order to unify efforts on migration, security and terrorism.

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