Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told her European Union partners Thursday that curbing migration flows from African countries has less to do with offers of charity than strong partnerships coupled with strategic investments in those nations.
Quick Read
- Migration Strategy: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized building strong partnerships and strategic investments in African countries to curb migration flows.
- EU Migration and Asylum Pact: Meloni acknowledged the recent deal partially improved the situation for Italy but didn’t solve the issue of increasing migrant arrivals.
- Approach to Africa: She highlighted the need for cooperation as equals, not charity, and the importance of investments and strategy to support the right not to emigrate.
- Criticism of EU Reforms: The new EU regulations have been criticized for potentially diminishing the rights of people on the move.
- G7 Presidency Focus: During Italy’s presidency of the G7, Meloni plans to focus on Africa’s development and the challenges of artificial intelligence.
- Mattei Plan: The plan aims for broader cooperation with Africa beyond energy, with specific projects to be announced soon.
- Challenges in Migration Control: Despite efforts, the results in tackling illegal migration have been disappointing for Meloni’s government.
- Government’s Immigration Policies: Meloni’s administration faced criticism for harsh immigration laws and plans for migrant reception centers in Albania.
- Central Mediterranean Route: This route became Europe’s busiest migration path in 2023.
- Migration Data: There were 260,662 Mediterranean crossings from North Africa to Europe in 2023, with Italian arrivals jumping 50% from the previous year to 155,750.
- Continued Efforts: Meloni plans to keep working with African countries to prevent illegal migrant departures.
The Associated Press has the story:
Italian PM Meloni: Curbing migrant arrivals from Africa is about investment, not charity
Newslooks- ROME (AP)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told her European Union partners Thursday that curbing migration flows from African countries has less to do with offers of charity than strong partnerships coupled with strategic investments in those nations.
Meloni told reporters at a year-end news conference that last month’s deal on the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact partially improved the situation for Italy and other asylum countries, but does not represent a solution to increasing migrant arrivals.
“What needs to be done in Africa is not charity,” she said. “What needs to be done in Africa is to build cooperation and serious strategic relationships as equals, not predators.”
Meloni also stressed the need “to defend the right not to have to emigrate … and this is done with investments and a strategy.”
Reforms EU leaders agreed on last month are based on a new set of regulations governing how member states respond to people arriving in Europe. The deal has been harshly criticized by humanitarian groups, saying it will diminish the rights of people on the move.
Meloni also said that supporting Africa’s development and the dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI) will be among the key themes for Italy during its one-year presidency of the Group of Seven (G7), which Rome took over at the start of January.
Italy outlined its proposed strategy in Africa in the so-called Mattei Plan – named after Enrico Mattei, founder of state-controlled oil and gas giant Eni — which aims at expanding cooperation beyond energy.
Meloni said the plan includes specific projects, but stopped short of providing details, adding they will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
The Italian leader admitted that results in tackling illegal migration – one of the top priorities of her far-right coalition government – are so far disappointing.
Meloni’s government garnered criticism by aid groups and left-wing opposition parties after approving harsher immigration laws, restrictions on sea rescue operations and plans to build migrant reception centers in Albania, But her electoral promises to stop massive migration flows to Italy have been mostly unfulfilled.
In 2023, the path from North Africa across the central Mediterranean to Italy became Europe’s busiest migration route.
According to the UNHCR, a total of 260,662 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Northern Africa to Europe since the beginning of 2023.
Data from Italy’s Interior ministry showed the migrant arrivals in Italy jumped 50% in 2023 from the previous year. About 155,750 migrants reached Italian shores last year, including more than 17,000 unaccompanied minors, compared to 103,850 in 2022.
“The data on migration are not satisfying, especially considered the amount of work we dedicated to that,” Meloni said, adding that she would continue to work with African countries to prevent illegal migrant departures.
