ROME: A deepening immigration crisis is threatening to rip the “soul” out of the European Union, Italy’s foreign minister warned on Sunday.

In a hard-hitting interview, Paolo Gentiloni said the kind of chaotic scenes witnessed this weekend at the Greece-Macedonia border represented a real threat to the free movement of people across the bloc.

Separately, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel called for the EU’s asylum policy to be overhauled, and for member-states to share the migratory influx “fairly.”

“On immigration, Europe is in danger of displaying the worst of itself: Selfishness, haphazard decision-making and rows between member states,” Gentiloni told Il Messaggero.

“I am very worried. Today it is on this issue that Europe will either rediscover its soul or lose it for good.”

Gentiloni urged Italy’s EU partners to stop squabbling and start working on a common solution to the crisis.