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European right-wingers back Salvini before court ruling on migrants

2024-10-06 22:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

European far-right leaders voiced their support for Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who faces up to six years in prison after refusing to allow a migrant ship to dock in 2019 when he was interior minister.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Dutch nationalist Greet Wilders joined other politicians from across Europe to address the annual rally of Salvini's League party, held in Pondita in northern Italy.

"You are our hero. We are with you, that's why we came here," said Wilders, whose party, which is against Islam, for the first time this year became part of the Government in the Netherlands, as the extreme right has seen growth on the European continent.

Europe's far-right parties in June joined to create the Patriots for Europe group - the third largest grouping in the European Parliament - and these parties aim to reduce the power of Brussels and stop illegal immigration. Last month, prosecutors demanded that Salvini be sentenced to six years in prison over his decision in 2019 to prevent more than 100 migrants from landing in Italy.

Prosecutors said he effectively kidnapped the migrants, forcing them to stay at sea for almost a week, despite conditions on their ship being poor.

"He deserves to be congratulated and not punished," Orban said during the rally in front of Salvini's supporters. "He protected the homes of Italians, he also protected Europe".

The next court hearing against Salvini is scheduled for October 18, but it is still unclear when the decision on the case will be made.

"They can arrest a person who defended national borders, but not all people. They cannot stop the holy alliance of the European peoples that was born today in Pontida", said Salvini.

Orban said that anti-immigrant sentiment has spread across Europe and threatened to send asylum seekers to Brussels if the European Court of Justice does not overturn the decision to fine Hungary 1 million euros a day for violating asylum laws./ Rel