On Friday, Elon Musk reposted a video showing migrants and aid workers on rescue boats. The original caption of the post from the handle @RadioGenoa said the NGO vessels "subsidized by the German government" were "collecting illegal immigrants to be unloaded in Italy."

Mask quoted the thread, adding the question: "Is the German public aware of this?"

The German Federal Foreign Office replied to Musk publicly, saying: "Yes. And it's called saving lives."

Musk continued the rather awkward online interaction with the Foreign Office, saying he believed the German public was in fact not in support of NGOs assisting migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, stressing that in his view, these actions amount to a violation of Italy's sovereignty.

"So you're actually proud of it," he added, addressing the Foreign Office directly and postulating that the rescue missions have "invasion vibes."

Musk later intensified his criticism of Germany, implying that the government's financial support of migrant rescue charities went against "the will of the people," and that in a democracy, a government like that "should be voted out."

Read more: Over 2,500 migrants lost to Mediterranean in 2023: UN

From Italy to Texas: Musk's migration meddling

Musk, who is one of the richest men of the world, owns X in addition to a number of other enterprises, including Tesla Motors and SpaceX. He is known for occasionally wading in on matters of social and political importance, especially after loosening many of the platform's rules last year, including revising its guidelines on hate speech, arguing that this is in support of unmitigated free speech.

The account @RadioGenoa, from which Musk reposted the video showing migrants boarding humanitarian rescue vessels, appears to show sympathy for far-right views on migration. It refers to migrants as "criminal invaders", sharing messages like "Italy is under attack" and "This European suicide must be stopped."

In recent days, Musk also appeared to take political sides on the migration issue in the US, saying that the country's influx of migrants should be contained with the erection of further walls along the US-Mexican border during a visit to the region.

With just over a year to go until US presidential elections, for many, this move signals implicit support for a re-election of former US President Donald Trump, whose populist political platform is largely built on anti-immigration views.

Musk, himself an immigrant to the US who was born in South Africa and has obtained Canadian nationality, has ruled out running for political office.

Are sea rescue NGOs complicit in migrant surge?

The heated exchange between Musk and the German Foreign Office comes amid growing discontent across Europe with the way migration is being handled by the bloc. 

Arrival numbers have been surging across the continent, in particular in Italy, a frontline country that overwhelmingly bears the brunt of Mediterranean sea arrivals. With some 130,000 arrivals so far this year, Italy is now seeking help from the EU to manage the situation.

Since the beginning of the year, the Italian government has also introduced a series of successive laws to limit migrant numbers, with some decrees affecting the operations of foreign-flagged rescue ships directly.

However, less than 10% of all migrant arrivals in Italy are actually linked to NGO sea rescues, according to official numbers.

Read more: Germany: Heated migration debate amid increase in migrant arrivals

Meloni angry at Germany

Relations between Germany and Italy already are strained due to the recent surge in migrant arrivals.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently wrote a letter of complaint to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, expressing her "amazement" at the German government's funding of charities helping irregular migrants.

Berlin confirmed earlier that it was providing between €400,000 and €800,000 each to several projects "for the support on land in Italy of people rescued at sea and an NGO project for sea-rescue operations."

But Meloni demands that humanitarian ships -- especially those supported by foreign governments -- should disembark those rescued at sea in their own countries. Meanwhile, however, Germany's interior ministry has paused its voluntary agreement to take some migrants in from Italy due to "high migratory pressure."

Read more: SOS Mediterranee wins 'Alternative Nobel Prize'

Migration on the minds of German voters

Against this backdrop, the migration debate meanwhile is also taking on more serious dimensions within Germany, as an influx of arrivals via the Polish and Czech borders has resulted in an increase of border checks.

Communities across Germany have sounded alarm, saying they are running out of resources to help accommodate the needs of migrants and refugees.

Many fear a repeat of the so-called refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, when more than one million people applied for asylum in Germany. 

From the beginning of 2022 to late September 2023, about 460,000 people filed asylum claims across Germany.

With regional elections in the German states in the states of Bavaria and Hesse scheduled to take place later this week, the timing of Musk's retweet has also drawn attention.

Read more: Talking continues in Europe to resolve EU migration pact deadlock

Musk watching his own back

Meanwhile, little is reported on how Musk's apparent interest in the immigration issue globally is related to his own business interests.

Some Tesla models and battery cells are produced just outside Berlin, with the recent economic downturn in the German affecting both sales and trade. A potential hike in German government spending on migrants could have an effect on taxes, among other things.

Meanwhile in Texas, Tesla operates a plant in the capital Austin, while SpaceX has its major testing and launch facility in South Texas, near the Mexican border. 

with AP, AFP, Reuters