by Amy Mek, RAIR Foundation:
“I declare myself guilty of defending Italy and the Italians. I declare myself guilty of keeping my word.”
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the conservative League party, now faces a politically charged legal attack as prosecutors seek a six-year prison sentence for him. The charge? Salvini’s firm decision in 2019, when he was Italy’s Interior Minister, to prevent more than 100 illegal migrants from disembarking from the Open Arms ship. This ship, tied to the notorious George Soros-backed NGO widely accused of human trafficking, had been patrolling off the coast of Libya, allegedly facilitating the illegal transport of migrants into Europe under the guise of humanitarian aid.
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Salvini’s refusal to grant the ship permission to dock was not some arbitrary move. At the time, he was upholding his responsibility to the Italian people as Interior Minister, determined to stop the flood of illegal migrants pouring into the country. The Open Arms ship, which had ignored offers to dock in other countries like Spain, remained at sea for weeks as Salvini repeatedly asked the ship to leave Italian waters and head to Spain, where the left-wing government had issued a public invitation for the boat to dock. But the ship stayed in Italian waters, setting up the political showdown that we see today.
Now, a left-wing prosecutor in Palermo is pushing for a six-year prison sentence, accusing Salvini of “kidnapping” these illegal migrants. The reality? Salvini was simply doing his job: defending Italy from illegal immigration, something that the globalist elites and leftist politicians want to criminalize. This trial, much like the political witch hunts we see globally, is aimed at silencing leaders who dare to stand up against the left’s radical open-border policies.
Salvini’s response is clear and bold: “I would do it all again: defending borders from illegal immigrants is not a crime.” And he’s absolutely right. His actions were necessary to protect Italy from the waves of illegal migration that continue to destabilize Europe, and he stands by them, proudly stating his role in safeguarding Italy’s national security. The rate and nature of the migration make it resemble an invasion more than any of the euphemisms used to justify their illegal entry into Western nations, including the United States.
As previously reported at RAIR Foundation USA, Salvini exposed the deeper coordination between so-called humanitarian NGOs and human traffickers. These traffickers have been exploiting platforms like Facebook to advertise their services, enticing migrants to make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean. These are not rescue missions—they are human smuggling operations, and these NGOs are complicit. Salvini, during his time as Interior Minister, had the courage to call this out and stop their operations, exposing them for what they are: enablers of illegal immigration and chaos.
During Salvini’s tenure, the number of illegal migrant boats landing in Italy plummeted. In 2018, there were 42,700 arrivals. But thanks to Salvini’s policies, that number dropped to just 8,690 during his time as minister. However, since Salvini’s departure, the floodgates have reopened, and the number of illegal arrivals has surged to 21,000. His leadership was essential in keeping the human trafficking networks at bay, and his decisive actions saved countless lives by discouraging dangerous crossings.
In a powerful video statement, Salvini recounted the events of the Open Arms standoff:
“On July 29, 2019, a Spanish ship of a Spanish NGO, the Open Arms, leaps from Syracuse to Lampedusa. It will never reach Lampedusa. Suddenly it cancels the destination from the on-board diary and heads for the Nick coast. On August 1, it manages to intercept a boat with clandestines on board. From that moment, it begins to sail through the Mediterranean, picking up other clandestines and heading for Italy. On August 20, it will arrive in front of the Sicilian coast with 164 clandestines on board.”
The Open Arms ship ignored requests to dock in Tunisia, Malta, and even Spain, which had initially invited them. For over 20 days, it sailed with the migrants aboard, deliberately avoiding closer ports to force Italy to accept them. Salvini rightly pointed out the political manipulation behind this maneuver and refused to allow Italy to become a dumping ground for illegal migrants.
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