The head of government of the Italian region of Sicily is serious: he ignored the government in Rome and ordered to close all the reception centers for migrants and refugees in Sicily.
Nello Muzumeci ordered the relocation of all migrants and refugees from the hotspots and reception centers in Sicily to mainland Italy by midnight on Monday. As an explanation for his decision, he referred to the Coronavirus pandemic, which could spread in reception centers.
The Italian Ministry of Interior said that the decree of the head of the region is invalid, because the policy on refugees is in the hands of the government of Rome.
In his order, the head of Sicily also ruled that migrants are not allowed to enter the region, to pass through the territory and to stop there. This also applies to all small and large boats and ships with refugees and migrants, “including ships of humanitarian organizations.