Not only the agreement between the EU and Egypt but also the bilateral memorandums with Italy which have considerable strategic value, in particular for the fight against illegal immigration. This is how Undersecretary of the Interior Wanda Ferro (FdI), in an interview with Tempo, describes the pacts signed yesterday in Cairo. Let’s start from the Mattei Plan: after Tunisia it is Egypt’s turn.
What is the value of this agreement?
«The pact with Egypt is a piece of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s overall strategy on the issues of immigration and the geopolitical stabilization of North Africa.
A strategy that Meloni managed to get the EU to share, focusing on the control of the so-called “external dimension”, through collaboration with the states of departure and transit, to combat human traffickers and promote legal and safe immigration , the only one capable of offering a dignified welcome and real integration. The objective is to create the economic and social conditions to guarantee African populations the right not to emigrate.
This is the value of the Mattei Plan, a cooperation project for development worth 5 billion euros in which Egypt has a leading role, and which brings Italy back to the center of policies that affect relations between ‘Europe and the Mediterranean countries’.
Why was this country chosen?
«The success of the Italy-Africa summit demonstrates the interest in this strategy on the part of the countries on the other side of the Mediterranean, and Egypt can play an important role both on issues of economic collaboration, for example in the energy field, and on that of migration, being the main transit country towards Libya. The positive story of Patrick Zaki’s release in recent months is also indicative of the positivity of the institutional and diplomatic relations established between our government and the Egyptian one.”
Let’s go into detail: what are the concrete measures that Egypt will adopt to stem irregular flows?
«The bilateral agreements concern investments in the economic field, in the energy sector, agriculture and food security, water resources, but also investments aimed at combating illegal immigration. A strategy that has proven to work in Tunisia, and has become a model for the European Union which has promoted a 7.4 billion euro support plan for the Egyptian economy, fully embracing the Italian government’s line.”
The latest data on the migratory phenomenon released by Frontex and the Interior Ministry highlight a clear decrease in arrivals in our country. Considering that we are entering the season traditionally with more landings, are you satisfied or can more be done?
«There is a sharp drop in arrivals in Italy. We continue to consolidate a figure of 70 percent less than last year. Support for the Tunisian authorities to block departures, with the provision of vehicles and support for staff training, has stopped 19,000 departures and forced human traffickers to change their routes, now directed towards the Canary Islands. Of course, the objective is not to move the flows from Italy to Spain, but this data shows that there is the possibility of stemming the activity of traffickers and reducing deaths at sea.
These are encouraging data that confirm the effectiveness of the Italian government’s line. We will continue to work on collaboration agreements, after those with Albania and now Egypt, also with Libya and Algeria, especially on assisted voluntary repatriations, as explained by the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi”.
«It is very serious that von der Leyen and Meloni promise resources to the al-Sisi regime only to control departures», words of the secretary of the Democratic Party Ellly Schlein. What does he reply?
«The agreements provide important guarantees in terms of fundamental freedoms and human rights.
The international action of the Italian government has the merit of allowing the growth of democratic values and economic development to coexist. Objectives that are achieved through dialogue, not through closure to confrontation.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Meloni announced a memorandum with the Egyptian Ministry of Health to provide assistance to civilians arriving from Gaza, in line with the government’s commitment since the beginning of the crisis in Gaza. Elly Schlein says no to everything, but we still haven’t heard a shred of proposal on the topic of immigration.
I understand that Giorgia Meloni’s authority and leading role in international relations are driving those in the Democratic Party crazy, who foreshadowed – or hoped for – Italy’s isolation, but are capable of at least a little coherence. I don’t remember the positions taken by the Italian left, when Europe, in the interests of Germany, gave six billion euros to Erdogan’s Turkey to stop migrants. The problem is evidently not who is in government in the countries with which agreements are made, but who leads the executive in Italy.”
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2024-03-21 05:35:53