ROME - Divisions in Italy’s coalition government were, once more, plain to see as Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio clashed over the disembarkation of migrants from a seized NGO rescue ship despite Italy’s ports ostensibly remaining closed.

 Deputy prime minister Salvini reacted furiously on Sunday evening when shown images of migrants landing on Italian soil while a guest on Non è L’Arena, a popular politics and current affairs television programme. “If some minister has given permission to disembark migrants, if someone wants to open our ports and help human smugglers, they will have to answer to the Italian people,” said Salvini, visibly outraged that his orders that no migrants be allowed to land on Italian soil had been undermined.

 “We are dealing with an impounded ship. I hope the ship’s crew is arrested. Undocumented immigrants could have remained aboard. As far as the Interior Ministry is concerned, the ports must remain closed,” Salvini went on to add, before seeming to point the finger at 5 Star Movement Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli.

 “Perhaps the Interior Minister [Salvini] should make inquiries into the incident before making accusations,” Toninelli responded soon after Salvini’s appearance on the broadcast ended.

 Toninelli received the full backing of his party, Di Maio maintaining that his party had upheld Italy’s migration policy and pointing out that the disembarkation was a legal requirement in such a situation: “The ship was seized by the judiciary, and when a vessel is impounded those aboard must necessarily be disembarked.”

 The 65 migrants aboard the Sea Board 3 had been refused entry to Italy and trapped aboard the ship for two days, just off the coast of Lampedusa. Among their number were a number of children, one of whom was seriously ill.

 The incident comes as the latest clash between the coalition government whose relationship has grown increasingly tense in recent months, following clashes over immigration and corrupt government officials amongst other differences of opinion.

 Despite twice having been placed under investigation for migrant kidnapping and having regularly faced outcry for the European community for his tough stance on immigration, Salvini’s policy has resonated with an increasingly large percentage of the Italian electorate. His League party have now overtaken the 5 Star Movement in the polls and is expected to make large gains in this week’s European elections.

ea