Italy’s combative interior minister has again clashed with the European establishment, earning a vulgar rebuke from Luxembourg’s foreign minister over his views on immigration.

Matteo Salvini addressed a migration conference in Vienna on Friday and outlined his opposition to Italy accepting any more migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean from Libya and Tunisia.

He said he was totally opposed to the view, espoused by some European leaders, that with ageing populations, EU nations need to accept more migrants.

“I’ve heard colleagues say that we need immigration because the population of Europe is getting older, but I have a completely different viewpoint,” said Mr Salvini, who heads the anti-immigration League party.

“I believe that I’m in government in order to see that our young people have the number of children that they used to a few years ago and not to transplant the best of Africa’s youth to Europe.

“Maybe in Luxembourg they need to do this, but in Italy we need to help people have more children, rather than bring in modern-day slaves (from Africa) to replace the children we're not having."

The remark provoked the irritation of Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s foreign minister, who was sitting close by and started mumbling “Blah, blah, blah.”