New passage of immigrants from Italy
The right-wing coalition government led by Giorgia Meloni, which came to power in the country about a year ago with a promise to prevent irregular migration, took a step to deter irregular migrants after approximately 11,000 irregular migrants arrived in the island of Lampedusa, which is on the route from Africa to Europe, last week.
WILL BE EXTENDED UP TO 18 MONTHS
The Council of Ministers, convened under the presidency of Prime Minister Meloni, decided to extend the stay of foreigners who cannot receive asylum in repatriation centers for up to 18 months, as allowed by European Union (EU) legislation.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense was tasked with building new deportation centers where immigrants to be deported will be held.
According to the Italian press, in his speech at the Council of Ministers, Meloni stated that the new repatriation centers to be built should be located in areas with a very low population density, surrounded by fences and easy to control, so that the immigrants will not create more unrest and insecurity in the cities.
Meloni would also have stated that a meeting would be held with the ambassadors of the countries that receive the most immigrants and that issues such as facilitating extradition processes would be discussed.
HARSH REACTION TO AUSTRIA
Italy, which is experiencing an intense influx of irregular immigration, reacted to Austria’s tightening of border controls.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Matteo Salvini, recalling the message of solidarity launched by the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, when visiting the island of Lampedusa, stated: “Vienna’s decision to increase controls on vehicles coming from Italy is a European decision”. “a slap in the face to solidarity and an offensive act against the Italian police forces and volunteers who have dedicated themselves to defending Europe’s borders for years,” he said.
Salvini argued that while Italy was fighting smugglers, Austria was punishing transporters and tourists by building castles in the Alps.
THE LITTLE ISLAND IS FALLING IN IMMIGRANTS
The island of Lampedusa, Italy’s closest landmass to North Africa, has been under serious migratory pressure since the beginning of the year due to its location on an irregular migratory route in the central Mediterranean.
More than 6,000 irregular migrants arrived on the island of Lampedusa in just 36 hours on September 13 and 14, and the island’s municipality declared a “state of emergency.”
It was stated that the number of people who arrived on the island last week was around 11,000.
EU Commission President von der Leyen, invited by Prime Minister Meloni to Lampedusa to see the emergency situation on the ground, supported Italy, saying: “We are the ones who will decide who will come to the EU, not the human traffickers”. during her visit to the island on September 17. She announced a 10-point action plan to this end.
According to data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the number of irregular immigrants who arrived in the country crossing the sea between January 1 and September 18 was 129,869. In the same period last year, this figure was recorded at 68. thousand 195. (BRITISH AUTOMOBILE CLUB)