Italy will not accept asylum seekers returned from Germany for as long as German aid groups operate rescue ships in the Mediterranean, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini declared over the weekend, defying the EU's new migration framework that took effect on 12 June 2026.
Salvini said Rome would take back not a single "illegal immigrant" from Germany under the pact, even as the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland resume transfers to Italy. German NGO vessels have brought 2,200 migrants to Italian shores since January, and Rome this weekend impounded the Sea-Watch 5 for 45 days and fined the group €4,500. Italy has rejected roughly 80,000 transfer requests since 2023 and has accepted just three returnees from European partners this year, none from Germany.
Interior ministers Matteo Piantedosi and Alexander Dobrindt are expected to hold talks to address the dispute.