2023-09-15 06:19:57
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani complains that Europe is not showing solidarity with Italy, which is facing an acute migration crisis. “In this phase, as in many others, Europe has not shown solidarity with Italy. The Italian coast is the border of the European Union,” explained Tajani, guest of the program “Diritto e Rovescio” broadcast by the Italian TV channel “Rete”. on Thursday evening.
Tajani emphasized that the people who migrate “don’t want to come to Italy, they want to move to other parts of Europe.” “There are many signs of goodwill, but then there is no action from EU partners while we cannot wait any longer,” said the foreign minister and leader of the ruling Forza Italia party.
“The situation in Africa is explosive. All of sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing moments of great tension, there is also a major crisis in Afghanistan, there is still war in Syria, people are fleeing the wars and moving north,” said Tajani. The Foreign Minister recalled that Europe had signed a memorandum with Tunisia. “But this memorandum is still not being applied because there is resistance,” complained Tajani.
The Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa is currently faced with the arrival of thousands of migrants that it can barely cope with. The Italian Red Cross reported more than 7,000 new arrivals on Wednesday evening – as many as the island, 145 kilometers north of Tunisia, has inhabitants.
The good weather of the past few days meant that more people than usual set out from North Africa in boats across the Mediterranean. According to the Interior Ministry in Rome, more than 5,000 migrants arrived in Italy on Tuesday alone. Most of them were picked up by the coast guard and taken to Lampedusa. The reception center there is designed for fewer than 400 people. Men, women and children had to spend the nights in the open air around the camp. A state of emergency was therefore declared on Wednesday.
The European Commission said on Thursday that it was in close contact with the Italian authorities. Around 450 employees from the EU Asylum Agency and Frontex are currently deployed on site. Italy is also being supported financially with 14 million euros in emergency aid. A special meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday as part of the EU solidarity platform. This allows Member States to exchange information about their reception capacities.
The Austrian Interior Ministry also said on Thursday that it was in contact with the Italian authorities. At the same time, monitoring on the burner would be intensified. However, experts assume that most migrants will stay in Italy or travel on to France. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) is certain that “the EU Commission must become even more consistent, stricter and faster in combating human trafficking and asylum abuse.”
The Green Party’s foreign policy spokeswoman, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, calls on the APA for “finally fair distribution quotas to all member states and more solidarity.” “Legal and safe escape routes are needed, also to prevent future tragedies,” said Ernst-Dziedzic.
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