France called the Italian ambassador after the "unacceptable and groundless" comments by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, France24 reported.

Luigi Di Maio said that the French policy in Africa is the cause of poverty and migration, several hours after France called the Italian ambassador.

"The EU should sanction France and all countries like France that impoverish Africa and make these people leave, because Africans should be in Africa, not at the bottom of the Mediterranean. If people are leaving today it’s because European countries, France above all, have never stopped colonising dozens of African countries," Di Maio said.

According to the French side, his comments are "unacceptable and groundless."