With Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini facing prison for up to six years for preventing illegal immigrants from entering Italy in 2019, he is heading to Budapest on Friday to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Orbán recently condemned the prosecution of Salvini, writing in a post on X: “Europe’s bravest patriot punished for stopping migration. Those who defend Europe are constantly penalized. What is going on? Matteo Salvini is our hero!”
Salvini responded to the post, stating: Thank you Viktor, see you on Friday in the beautiful city of Budapest. Trials and threats won’t stop the wind of change and freedom blowing across Europe!”
Orbán is not the only one giving Salvini his backing, with the Italian politician receiving support from around the world, including Elon Musk, who recently wrote an X post praising Salvini’s fortitude in his plight that received 6.9 million views.
Salvini’s trial in Palermo, which has been ongoing since 2021, dates back to his decision in August 2019 to refuse to allow the Spanish NGO Open Arms to disembark 147 migrants at the port of Lampedusa, leaving the ship stranded at sea for 19 days. The prosecutor is now asking for six years in prison for the incident.
In response, Salvini stated: “Six years in prison for blocking landings and defending Italy and Italians? This is madness. Defending Italy is not a crime and I will never give up.”
The final decision rests with a higher judge at the conclusion of what has been a three-stage trial.
Salvini’s next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18, with a final conviction potentially leading to him being barred from holding office in government. Salvini is currently deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure and transport in Giorgia Meloni’s government.
The Italian politician remains defiant, writing on X that he would do it again. He noted that it is “incredible that a Minister of the Republic is facing six years in prison for carrying out his work in defending the nation’s borders, in accordance with the mandate he received from his fellow citizens.”
Italy has been hit with a surge in illegal immigrants from Africa for years, which has led to an increase in crime and sexual assaults. Despite growing migration pressure, both left- and right-wing governments have been ineffective at halting the flow of migrants.
In August 2023, the immigration representative of the Italian local government group ANCI warned that facilities receiving African migrants in the country’s cities and towns were “on the verge of collapse” and that the crisis situation was more serious than ever before.
