Italy cannot allow "half of Africa" to set foot on its soil, anti-migrant interior minister Matteo Salvini wrote Monday on Facebook.
"The State should go back to being the State, we will always save human lives, but we ask our vessels to stay closer to Italy's coast," read the post.
"There are other countries that can carry out rescues in the Mediterranean. We can't allow half of Africa to enter Italy."
Salvini's comments came after he drew sharp criticism from European countries and charities on Sunday for refusing to allow an overcrowded boat with some 600 migrants on board to dock at an Italian port, saying Malta should take the vessel.
The diplomatic standoff ended when Spain’s newly elected Socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, agreed to allow the migrant boat to dock at the port of Valencia, a move welcomed by Salvini in a tweet.
"We are no longer Europe's doormat," read the tweet.
"We are protecting our national borders and doing what we promised."
Salvini has vowed to deport half a million illegal immigrants from Italy, where over 700,000 migrants have arrived from Africa since 2014.
The populist coalition government took office earlier this month.
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