The massive arrival of irregular immigrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa has raised alarm in the European Union (EU) and set its diplomatic mechanisms in motion. Italy called for a change of focus in dealing with the migration phenomenon and focus attention on reducing immigration from North African countries, Instead of arguing over the distribution of migrants, until an agreement is reached, Rome needs help in dealing with the thousands of migrants landing on its shores every day.
However, the French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced this France will not accept some of the immigrants who recently arrived on the island of Lampedusa, as requested by the Italian government. “It would be a misjudgment to think that once immigrants arrive in Europe, they should immediately be distributed throughout Europe and towards France, which to a large extent plays its role,” Darmanin previously explained in an interview with Europa 1 radio Traveling to Italy this Monday.
The French Interior Minister met his Italian counterpart in Rome yesterday, Matteo Piantedosi, to address the migration crisis triggered in Lampedusa, which threatens to reach the rest of European countries. Paris is aware that Italy is not the final destination of most immigrants entering Europe via the Mediterranean and that many of them will sooner or later try to reach France.
For this reason, the French government expressed its support for the tightening of the immigration policy of the Executive of Giorgia Meloni, but refused to accept more immigrants until Rome scrupulously respects the Community legislation that establishes this Migrants must apply for political asylum in the first European country they arrive in. which in practice is in the hands of Entry countries such as Spain or Italy take responsibility for controlling migration flows.
“We will only accept them if they respect the asylum regulations, when they are pursued. But if it is just irregular immigration, France cannot welcome them,” said the French interior minister. Darmarin assured that “many” of the migrants who arrived in Lampedusa last week are not suffering political persecution and should therefore be repatriated. “We have to expel those who have nothing to do in Europe to their countries,” he emphasized. “France is very decisive on this issue.”