France summons Italian ambassador over "unacceptable" migration remarks

France's Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned the Italian ambassador, denouncing "unacceptable" comments of Italian deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio who pointed the finger to Paris to be behind Europe's worst migration crisis due to its foreign policy mainly in Africa, local media reported.

The cabinet director of European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau summoned Italian ambassador to France Teresa Castaldo "following unacceptable and irrelevant remarks made by Italian authorities."

Di Maio accused France over the weekend of "beggaring Africa" in a way to force people to quit their native countries to seek for better living conditions in Europe doorsteps.

"If today there are people who leave, it is because some European countries, mainly France, has never stopped colonizing dozens of African countries," Di Maio said.

He also asked the European Union to impose sanction against Paris.

Ways to relocate migrants and share refugees have fuelled tension between France and Italy recently.