Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni this afternoon avoided Maltese Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici at the EU’s Home Affairs Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg and also refused to reply to questions on the latest spate between the two countries on illegal immigration.

Sources close to the meeting diplomatically told timesofmalta.com that Sig Maroni “did not have the time” to discuss the latest incident between Malta and Italy over search and rescue operations off Lampedusa last week.

Maroni had tried to blame Malta for an incident in which some 200 migrants drowned off Lampedusa.

Asked for his comments about Malta when he rushed out of the council meeting, Sig Maroni did not reply and instead focussed on his “disappointment” that the other EU member states were not sharing the burden of illegal immigration.

"This meeting confirmed that solidarity within the EU is only about saving the banks," he bitterly complained.

The outspoken minister form the Lega Nord Party said that he really wondered whether it was worth it for Italy to form part of the EU any longer, a declaration which shocked the Italian media.

Sig Maroni left the meeting half way through the proceedings as, according to members of his delegation, he had to attend other business in Rome.

However his early departure was interpreted as being a snub at the other ministers.

“The EU has left us on our own on this issue and they (the other member states) have told us that it is our problem and we will have to face it alone,” Minister Maroni said.

“I think it is better to be alone than to be together with this type of colleagues,” he said.

Italian journalists said this was the first time that an Italian minister had put Italy’s EU membership in doubt.

“This is the deepest crisis in Italy’s long relationship with the EU, a long serving Italian journalist said.

He pointed out, however that Mr Maroni comes from the Lega Nord and his comments have to be taken “with a pinch of salt”.