Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has emphasized that the nine Mediterranean-facing South European countries need to establish a unified and cohesive stance to enhance the efficiency of measures concerning migrants, as revealed by Italian diplomatic sources.
Meloni’s call to action came in a letter addressed to these countries ahead of the scheduled summit in Malta next Friday, as reported by Italy’s “ANSA” news agency.
In her letter, Meloni highlighted the urgency of swiftly implementing the comprehensive approach on migration, which was agreed upon during the special meeting of the European Council in Brussels last February.
During that assembly, the Council recognized migration as a European issue demanding a European solution and concurred on prioritizing increased external efforts, effective border control, and the internal facets of migration management.
Furthermore, Meloni’s letter made reference to the recent memorandum of understanding between the European Union and Tunisia regarding measures to curb illegal immigration from Tunisia in exchange for financial support.
The Italian Prime Minister dispatched her message to Mediterranean-facing European countries, which include Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. Additionally, the letter was sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.
Europe, over recent years, has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the flow of migrants and refugees trying to reach its shores, mostly from war-torn countries, economically distressed regions, and areas suffering from civil unrest. Italy, given its strategic location in the Mediterranean, has been one of the primary points of entry.
This has put considerable pressure on the nation, prompting calls for a collective European approach to manage the situation. The collaborative efforts aim at not just managing the influx, but also at addressing the root causes of migration, ensuring that those who migrate do so legally and safely.
