“Viktor Orbán teaches Europe a lesson in democracy”

While most in Italian politics and the press immediately attacked the Hungarian government over the anti-pedophile law, many saw it as admirable. Igor Gelarda, the right-wing Italian Lega party coordinator of Sicily, was eager to defend Hungary in his interview with our paper. In fact, he watches enviously as the issue is put to referendum; Gelarda gripes that in Italy, no one bothers to ask for the people’s opinion.

Igor Gelarda, der sizilianische Koordinator der Lega Forrás: Facebook

– In the past few weeks, the Italian media has had little to say of the migrants arriving at the southern coasts. Is the situation less severe?

– The state of migration is unchanged in the southern islands, the occupation of Lampedusa and Sicily is perpetual. In the past few days alone, 350 ships rescuing migrants have been moored and recorded by authorities in the Trapani area. This means that ships carrying migrants not only come to Lampedusa but also to the Sicilian coast. Due to the pandemic, Italy is forced to impose restrictions. While the free movement of the Italian people is restricted with the green health card certifying your virus-free status, incoming migrants can enter the country without any kind of certification and their state of health remains out of our control. All the while, it is up to the local law enforcement to accommodate the waves of crowds, for which they are not prepared in terms of means nor facilities. Tensions are running high as evidenced by the migrant camp lit on fire in Pozzallo near Ragusa two weeks ago. Immigrants arrive en masse on the Italian shores on their own and then submit an asylum application, which, in most cases, they will not receive as they do not satisfy the conditions. Those arriving from Tunisia and Libya are not fleeing wartime conditions – they simply want better living conditions. However, Italy cannot provide this as we do not have the proper resources to do so, even if we did accept them. They could spend year in Italy until the time they are determined a refuge or not.