Angelino Alfano said he fears new policies agreed at a high-profile summit in Paris yesterday could become “bogged down” in EU red tape.
In a swipe at the bloc he said: “I have always argued that, having closed the route through Turkey, Europe should have placed all its political and financial weight to close the central Mediterranean route.
“For too long, Italy has been left alone in this action, as European leaders now recognise such as Chancellor Merkel and President Juncker.”
The Paris talks featured French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian PM Paolo Gentiloni, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Spanish leader Mariano Rajoy.
The EU’s ‘big four’ leaders vowed to “act together” to tackle people traffickers and finally bring the migrant crisis to an end.
Mr Alfano told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera today: “The Italian agenda has been established in Paris.
“It can become the strategy of the whole of Europe, as long as it does not get bogged down into the bureaucracy in Brussels.
“By involving France, Germany and Spain, it is possible to provide immediate answers to the migration issue of the European Union.
“These countries can help address the flows of migrants before they arrive in Italy, i.e. along the routes of the transit.”
The high-meeting at Elysee Palace, Mr Macron’s official residence, was sparse on concrete details.
But the leaders agreed on the principle of setting up a mechanism to identify legitimate migrants who are fleeing war and persecution.
Mrs Merkel told a press conference: “At the core of it, it’s all about fighting illegal migration.
“If we want to stop human traffickers, then this can only be achieved through development aid.”
The migrant crisis has put Paris and Rome at odds, with Italian politicians accusing France and other EU states of not sharing the burden.
Italy has also asked Jean-Claude Juncker‘s European Commission for more budget flexibility to help it tackle the crisis.
Nearly 120,000 migrants have entered Europe by sea so far this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
More than 2,400 have drowned while making the dangerous journey, often without enough food or water in overcrowded dinghies run by traffickers.
Experts have said stabilising chaotic Libya would be key to any long-term solution to the crisis.
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega