French interior minister calls Italy "enemy" of France after migration row

Following growing tensions between conservative governed Italy and woke/progressive governed France over boat migrants in the Mediterranean, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has resorted to extremely harsh rhetoric, calling the Italian government "enemies of France."Show more

Darmanin was responding to a question from MP Mathilde Paris of the National Rally during a question and answer session in the French parliament, saying that Italy is "attacking France."

Paris wanted to know why most of the migrants aboard the Ocean Viking ship, which France had allowed to dock, were released from the administrative center where they were housed, despite the minister's previous assurances that "they cannot leave the administrative center." Instead of responding to this question, Darmanin claimed that she was an "ally" of the "enemies" of France.

"Indeed, madame, you are not patriotic if you ally yourself with the enemies who are attacking France at the moment," Darmanin said in response to a question from Paris. "You are siding with Mrs. (Giorgia) Meloni and her government, which has not respected international law, and instead you are attacking French police officers," he added.

The French government has been criticized for taking in the migrants, and a report shows that 26 of the 44 minors taken in have already fled the migrant center