Italy’s Meloni seeks EU mission to block migrant arrivals. On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni demanded that the European Union work together “with a naval mission if necessary” to stop migrants from entering Europe from North Africa via the Mediterranean Sea.
This week, there has been a significant increase in the number of migrants arriving on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa, which has caused the island to become overwhelmed. Meloni issued a video message on social media pledging severe action in response.
She said that she had sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, requesting that immigration be included on the agenda for an upcoming EU summit in October.
Meloni, for whom the growing number of arrivals has become a huge political headache, stated that he plans to reiterate a request for an immediate EU mission to stop the departure of migrant boats. “I intend to reiterate a request for an immediate EU mission to block the departure of migrant boats,” he added.
However, approximately 126,000 migrants have been reported this year, almost double the total by the same date in 2022. This is even thoher right-wing government took October of the previous year with the promise to limit illegal immigration.
Lampedusa has recently taken the brunt of the crisis, with over 7,000 people landing on the island this week alone. This number is greater than the island’s permanent population, which has prompted fervent pleas for assistance from elected officials.
Meloni stated that the cabinet would convene on Monday to enact emergency measures, such as ordering the army to create larger reception centers to accommodate illegal immigrants and extending the maximum amount of time they may be detained. Meloni indicated that the cabinet would meet on Monday.
Tunisia is the starting point for most boats carrying migrants to Italy.
In July, Meloni assisted the EU in reaching an agreement with the North African state to curb the influx of migrants in exchange for funding; however, the agreement has not yet been implemented.
In the message she sent out on Friday, she demanded that the European Commission immediately transfer 250 million euros to Tunis, which is equivalent to $266.48 million.
FRANCE Has Made a Commitment to Support
On Friday, migrants were slowly being relocated away from Lampedusa’s overcrowded “hotspot” processing center and taken to the larger island of Sicily and other parts of Italy. Lampedusa is located in the Mediterranean Sea.
Because of the difficult living conditions here, I hope that the situation will change and that they will allow us to go. According to Claudine Nsoe, a migrant from Cameroon who is 29 years old and lives in the United States, “We sleep in the open air, in the sun, and in the cold.”
She added that traveling to Lampedusa from Libya with two children had taken a week, and she was saying this while cradling her 18-month-old son Prince on her lap.
A video taken on Thursday night and shared on social media showed several migrants mingling with locals, visitors, and one another while dancing to music on Lampedusa’s main street. This occurred after tensions and scuffles broke out inside the center.
France and Italy agreed earlier on Friday to collaborate on developing a response to the issue that the EU could implement.
“I want to say very sincerely to all of our Italian friends that I believe it is the responsibility of the European Union, the entire European Union, to stand by Italy,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters. “Italy is in a very difficult position right now.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has joined requests made by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, for the European Union to share the responsibility of rescuing migrants and finally settling those who have been granted refugee status. This is one of the most contentious problems among member states.
“It can’t just be on those frontline states like Italy that receive the initial arrivals to accommodate them for the longer term,” said Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the UNHCR. “It can’t just be on those frontline states like Italy that receive the initial arrivals.”
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