France has accused the Italian government of behaving “hysterically” over migrants and refugees, earning a furious rebuke from Matteo Salvini, the Italian interior minister.

The criticism from Paris came as Mr Salvini said the German captain of a migrant rescue vessel should go to prison for defying Italian orders and bringing a group of rescued asylum seekers to the island of Lampedusa.

Italy “had not been up to the task” of managing relatively small numbers of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, said Sibeth Ndiaye, a French government spokeswoman.

“Mr Salvini's behaviour has not been acceptable as far as I am concerned,” she said, accusing him of creating a "hysterical" atmosphere over migration.

“This is a painful subject, a complex subject which the EU and France have previously been in solidarity with Italy over.”

The criticism was met with a swift response from Mr Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister as well as head of the hard-Right League party.

"My behaviour regarding immigration is unacceptable? The French government should stop insulting us and open its ports (to migrants)," Mr Salvini said in a statement.

"Italians have already received too many (migrants) and spent too much on them. The next boats? Their destination should be Marseilles.”