France has closed its common border with Italy. The country deployed 120 soldiers, anti-terrorist groups, helicopters and drones to control illegal border crossers. They announced that the country will not accept any illegal immigrants who have arrived on the island of Lampedusa, only people whose asylum applications have already been accepted.
In the past few days, French border guards on the France-Italy border turned back a huge number of young migrants who claimed to be minors.
Although French President Emanuel Macron previously announced that he was willing to support Italy in the serious crisis, illegal immigrants will no longer be allowed to enter the country.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi held talks with his French counterpart Gerald Darmanin on Monday to jointly find a solution to the migration situation.
However, the migration restrictions implemented by the Meloni cabinet on Monday are not supported by the Italian governors either. Eugenio Giani, the governor of Tuscany, stated that he will not allow the construction of another facility suitable for detaining the new arrivals in the province. In his opinion, PM Meloni is making fun of the Italians, and the migrants placed in the deportation centers will only cause more trouble. According to the left-wing leaders of the provinces, the government does not have a well-designed strategy to eliminate the migration crisis, it is only improvising. They believe that the Council of Ministers is unable to cope with the migration challenge, and therefore leaves the solution to the problem to the provinces and municipalities.
Luca Zaia, a politician of the Lega party and the governor of Veneto, said that deporting illegal immigrants is like trying to empty the sea with a bucket; it will never succeed.
There is a great danger that it will only paralyze the country,
Zaia said.
Serious efforts are needed to establish deportation migrant centers in every province within a short period of time. Currently there are nine facilities holding 594 people. The right-wing and left-wing leaders of the provinces resent Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi’s decision to move immigrants in without consulting them.
Giorgia Meloni briefed the journalists on the management of the migration crisis before the UN General Assembly in New York.
She stated that the Italian government does not see the distribution of illegal immigrants between member states as a good solution. Italy expects support from Europe in protecting the continent's external borders.
We won't get anywhere while we argue about where to move them. No one can solve their problem by delegating it to another country. This is by no means a solution to the migration crisis. The outer borders of the continent must be defended with a joint effort,
Ms Meloni said, adding that she also emphasized to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the island of Lampedusa that the Italian government does not support the distribution of illegal immigrants.
Cover image: Illegal immigrants trying to enter Europe arrive at the port of the island of Lampedusa, southern Italy on September 18, 2023 (Photo: MTI/EPA/ANSA/Ciro Fusco)
