ROCCELLA IONICA – Infrastructure Minister, Matteo Salvini says “Italy is under attack” as over 650 migrants landed in the port of Roccella Ionica from Libya on Sunday night, just after a record breaking 3000 migrants arrived in Sicily from Tunisia, Coast Guard officials said. 

 The migrants of this latest landing, all men, arrived on a 30-metre fishing boat that left from Libya, eluding all controls. 

 The men, who come from Syria, Pakistan, Egypt and Bangladesh, travelled for about five days before entering the port and crashing into another boat. 

 The refugees, all of whom are reported to be in good health, have been temporarily housed in marquees close to the port. 

 Infrastructure Minister, Matteo Salvini, commented on the rise in the number of migrant arrivals and NGO activity on the side lines of a meeting in Trieste. “It is Italy under attack, not the NGOs,” he commented. “If the Coast Guard is complaining that their work is being hindered by the NGOs a problem arises.” “Surely,” he added, “immigration cannot be regulated by private bodies finances by foreign countries. That is for sure.”

cw