Italian efforts to block migrant boats from Africa is a “betrayal” of Europe and of its citizens, EU Parliament boss Antonio Tajani has alleged, insisting Brussels must put in place a permanent mechanism which would spread third world migrants throughout the bloc.

Ahead of a visit to the Aosta Valley, a region of Italy home to a number of ski resorts, the ‘centre-right’ politician branded it “unacceptable” that EU nations had chosen to “turn away from what is happening in the Mediterranean”.

“In so doing, they betray the European project and citizens’ expectations. Immediately approve the accord on mandatory distribution voted by the European Parliament,” stated Tajani, according to reports from the news wire service, ANSA, on Tuesday.

The Italian’s remarks came as open borders-backing NGOs were attempting to increase pressure on Rome to open the country’s ports to a Sea Watch vessel carrying a batch of 47 migrants it picked up off the coast of Libya last week.

Breitbart London previously reported how Matteo Salvini, Italy’s interior minister and deputy leader who promised to get tough on mass migration, has rejected “humanitarian” demands to let self-styled ‘migrant rescue’ organisations dock, pointing to the massive drop in the number of drownings seen since he began blocking the boats last summer.

Meanwhile, media outlets on Tuesday said the socialist government of Spain is planning to try and punish Rome for its having largely put a stop to the flow of boats across the Mediterranean, with prime minister Pedro Sanchez set to tell Brussels to cut funding to any nation opposed to Europe welcoming and sharing across the bloc every third world migrant who manages to reach the continent’s shores.

According to Il Giornale, Sanchez seeks to ally with Germany’s Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron in France for the proposal, so as to form a globalist “axis against EU countries which are trying to crack down on migration flows”.