[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/06/17/wital17.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/06/17/ixworld.html] Fire on illegal migrants, says Italian minister
[/url]
The Italian navy should open fire with live ammunition on boats carrying illegal immigrants to the country, a senior minister said yesterday, commenting that he was "sick of them".

Umberto Bossi, minister for reform and leader of the xenophobic Northern League, told Corriere della Sera that he wanted to hear "the blast of cannon".

He added: "After the second or third warning, bang! We open fire. What we need is a cannonade to knock out whoever might be there. Otherwise, we're never going to end this problem."
.
.
.
Asked whether it would be right to fire on immigrants, generally women and children, Mr Bossi said: "Whether they're good or bad, illegal immigrants have to be chased away. "The navy and coastguard should be defending our shores and using their cannon to do it. That's the best way to enforce the law."

Amid widespread protests, Mr Bossi issued a statement last night saying he had been misunderstood. "The interview published this morning . . . by no means reflects my thoughts, nor the sense of my replies in what was only a quick exchange of a few remarks," he said.