Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi are adamantly rejecting German demands that three NGO ships with more than 1,000 people on board dock in Italian ports. The ships are waiting to dock off the Italian coast.

The foreign ministry of Rome stated on Thursday that it had verbally requested Berlin to accept the refugees on board the Humanity 1 with German registration earlier. The German side had been contacted for information regarding the passengers, the Italian ministry noted.

The diplomatic memorandum, from October 23, was made public on Wednesday by RAI3 public television. Berlin’s foreign ministry responded by pleading with Rome to help those on the NGO boat as soon as possible.

Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni has been heralded by her own party in the efforts to reject E.U. control of Italian sovereignty, and her cabinet continues to echo those sentiments. The Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani, stated on the “Agorà” program on the Rai3 television channel, “If Germany considers that there is a humanitarian problem, it should take care of it, Italy cannot become the shelter for all immigrants.”

Piantedosi contends that European nations who flag these ships ought to extend a reception to people who arrive using those NGOs’ boats. He asserted that, in order to curb migrations completely, the departures need to be terminated.

Piantedosi’s strong stance on immigration was supported by Ciriani, who said, “We cannot simply be the terminal of choices that take place elsewhere. We are a serious country, Italy is a fully sovereign country.”