The Sicilian regional administrative court approved an appeal lodged by the central government in Rome for Sunday's decree to be scrapped, the AGI news agency reported. Musumeci has clashed with officials in Rome over the issue, but anti-migrant opposition League party leader Matteo Salvini praised the move ahead of local elections next month.

The Sicilian leader had ordered that all migrants on the island's "hot spots" and reception centres be transferred to facilities outside the island. Musumeci's decree also banned any migrant from "entering, transiting and stopping over on the Sicilian region's territory with vessels big and small, including those belonging to charities".