In order to avoid deportation back to their home countries, illegal migrants are said to be refusing Chinese coronavirus tests as well as the vaccine to remain in Italy.

Migrants in Italy continue to refuse to take Wuhan virus tests in order to stay in the country and now some are said to be refusing to take the vaccine as well, as some of their home countries require those entering to be vaccinated against the virus.

In the Sicilian city of Syracuse, a 39-year-old Tunisian who arrived in Italy after previously being handed an order to leave the country is now unable to be sent back to Tunisia as the country requires he be vaccinated, Il Giornale reports.

Tunisia made vaccination mandatory in December, a move that was criticised by human rights group Amnesty International, which stated that the policy was overly restrictive.

The tactic was previously reported by national-conservative Brother of Italy (FdI) Councilor for Security of Lombardy Riccardo De Corato, who highlighted the issue last September.

“It is clear that this trick is now known by those in the detention centre. Everyone uses it because they know that there is no law that obliges them to undergo the swab,” he said at the time.

Elsewhere in Sicily, 13 migrants from the Gambia and Senegal who are all unvaccinated, were given private cars to chauffeur them to a migrant centre in Enna as they were not eligible to take a bus due to their vaccination status, as Italians are forced to present a coronavirus health pass to use public transportation.

While Italians have seen increased restrictions on their everyday life following the implementation of the Green Pass and the “Super” Green Pass, migrants have not stopped arriving in Italy in recent months.

On Friday, in just 24 hours, 570 migrants arrived on the island of Lampedusa, which has a migrant reception facility that is meant to house just 250.

Last year, the island saw at least 35,000 illegal migrant arrivals, an all-time record and a figure five times that of the island’s population of 6,500 residents.

Migrant taxi NGOs picking up illegals in the Mediterranean have also contributed to the surge of illegal arrivals last year and continue their operations in 2022. As of Friday, the NGOs Mediterranea Saving Humans and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) were looking to drop off nearly 700 migrants in Italy.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com