The threat comes amid a standoff with Malta over the fate of 177 migrants rescued by Italy in Maltese waters. Returning migrants to an "unsafe" Libya could pose legal troubles for Rome.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/I. Petyx
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Italy's far-right interior minister on Sunday threatened to return to Libya 177 migrants who have been stuck on an Italian coast guard ship for days amid an ongoing standoff with Malta over their fate.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini demanded the European Union step in after Malta refused to let the Diciotti ship dock at its port.
"Either Europe decides to seriously offer Italy some concrete help, beginning with, for example, the 180 immigrants on board the Diciotti ship, or we will be forced to do what will definitively stop the smugglers' business. That means taking the people saved in the sea back to Libya," Salvini said in a statement.
The Diciotti, working under the EU's Frontex Mediterranean rescue operation, has been stuck off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa after rescuing the migrants on August 16.
Italy asked Malta to take in the migrants, arguing that they were rescued in Maltese waters. But Malta refused, saying that the migrant boat wasn't in distress and that the migrants declined help from Maltese authorities, preferring to continue toward Italy.
Salvini's Maltese counterpart, Michael Farrugia, tweeted on Sunday, accusing Italy of rescuing the migrants in Maltese waters "purely to prevent them from entering Italian waters."
Italy's transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, said Malta's position was "worthy of sanction" and called on EU countries to open their ports.
The spat between Italy and Malta is the second in just over a month. The two governments were locked in a standoff over 450 migrants rescued from a fishing ship. The migrants were taken aboard two EU border agency vessels, which were eventually allowed to dock in Italy after five European countries agreed to take 50 each.
Legal risks
Returning migrants to an "unsafe" Libya could pose legal troubles for Rome.
International law states that migrants rescued in international waters cannot be returned to a place where their lives are put in danger. Libya is classified as unsafe by both the United Nations and the European Union.
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
Image: Getty Images/M. Cardy
Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
Image: Reuters/D. Zammit Lupi
Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/B. Mohai
Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Altan
No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
