RELATIONS between Italy and France hit a new low this week, with Rome accusing French border guards of illegally crossing the border to “dump” unwelcome migrants inside Italian territory.

On Monday, a delegation from the Italian interior ministry was expected in the Italian mountain village of Claviere, 80 km north of Turin, to investigate increasing reports of illegal crossings by French officers. “The French are trespassing, dumping migrants at their pleasure … but Italy is no longer the refugee camp of Europe,” said Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, as he ordered a fresh military deployment to check the border.

Italian authorities claim that French officers disregard the frontier line as well as standard refoulement procedures for migrants, often dropping them in the woods between Claviere and the French town of Montgenevre.(SD-Agencies)