The Meloni government has blocked nearly 200,000 migrants from crossing the Mediterranean to Italy since coming to power two years ago, the country’s interior minister has said.

Italy has given hundreds of millions of euros in aid, trade and investment to Tunisia and Libya, in return for which both countries have endeavoured to stop migrant boats from leaving their shores.

The accords are highly controversial from a human rights point of view.

Campaigners have accused Tunisia of rounding up sub-Saharan migrants and dumping them in the desert, while Libya has been accused of keeping them in filthy holding centres where they are subjected to torture and beatings.

But the strategy appears to have been successful in drastically reducing the number of migrants and refugees who reach Italy.

“It is a positive picture and the numbers bear that out,” said Matteo Piantedosi, the interior minister in the Right-wing government led by Giorgia Meloni.

He told La Stampa newspaper: “In 2024, we reduced the number of irregular arrivals by 60 per cent compared to the year before and by 38 per cent compared to 2022.”

The number of rejected asylum seekers who were sent back to their home countries increased by 16 per cent.

He said: “These are the result of targeted policies… including close cooperation with the police forces of countries of origin and transit, which in two years have resulted in blocking the departure of 192,000 irregular migrants from Libya and Tunisia who were hoping to reach our shores.”