Thread by @BBCkatyaadler

At a #Salvini press conference on his return from Libya #MigrationEU

Salvini without jacket at press conference after this morning’s trip to Libya. In full confident mode on #Migration

I asked him about his message to EU leaders at their summit this week: he said Italy had been left alone for years with #Migration crisis and that now Merkel and Macron had to be ‘consequent’

Salvini said Italy was now back centre stage in Europe and the EU would have to look at Italy’s plan to combat illegal #migration

Salvini said part of stamping out people smugglers’ trade had to be preventing NGO boats waiting to pick up migrants so close to Libya. Said they had to be stopped

On the processing centres in Africa #Salvini and other EU politicians favour to try to prevent economic migrants coming to Europe he seemed to bat away NGO concerns by calling them ‘welcome and protection centres’ #migration

#Salvini said he wanted to launch an ‘information campaign’ in sub saharan Africa (where most migrants arriving by boat in Italy come from) to warm them of perils of making journey to Europe and to ‘tell them not to come’ #migration

#Salvini is buoyed by big results in regional elections. His tough on migration, tough with the EU rhetoric is going down well at home #migration

But voters have to ask if #Salvini truly wants to solve Italy’s migrant crisis.. After all, it’s the reason he’s so popular at home right now

You’d be forgiven for missing the fact that #Salvini is only joint Deputy Prime Minister of Italy - Look at domestic and international press headlines: Salvini, not PM Conte, seems to be the man running the show #migration