Foreign minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi cast doubt Wednesday on claims by Libya's UN-backed premier Fayez al-Saraj that over 800,000 migrants could seek refuge in Italy from the escalating military conflict in the lawless North African state.
"This is an outrageous figure," Moavero told Italy's Radio Capital.
"We have all asked ourselves where this figure comes from - it is excessive compared with the far lower numbers that we have for migrants defined as non-nationals who are currently in Libya."
There are an estimated "several thousand" migrants currently in Libya, Moavero said. An influx to Italy of the size predicted by Sarraj would mean an exodus of Libyans, something which did not occur during the conflict that led to late dictator Muammar Gaddafi's 2011 ouster, he said.
In an interview with Milan-based daily Corriere della Sera on Monday, Sarraj claimed that "African migrants and Libyan citizens" could flee to Italy from rogue eastern general Khalifa Haftar's assault on Tripoli.
Foreign fighters could enter Italy among the influx of refugees, Sarraj warned.
