Civil protection Minister Nello Musumeci on Sunday ruled out introducing a naval blockade to prevent irregular migration to Italy for the time being.
“The naval blockade is an extreme remedy that is defined by international agreement, so this is not the time and it is not opportune,” said Musumeci in answer to a question on the proposal, much-trumpeted by the Brothers of Italy (FdI) party of Premier Giorgia Meloni during last year’s election campaign and recently relaunched by party bigwig and senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa.
“Departures must be stopped through bilateral agreements with the countries of departure,” he continued.
“Confindustria claims Italy needs 400,000 workers. We need manpower, so why not let migrants, who are fleeing their countries because of war, persecution or famine, arrive in Italy via regular pathways and avoid the mafia of the smugglers?” said Musumeci.
“Why should they have to pay 6-8-10 thousand euro to those criminals instead of entering Italy regularly and contributing to the workforce? It is a simple and clear objective,” he added.
“We are convinced that the agreements with Tunisia and Libya, if the political framework in that country were to stabilise, could allow Europe to turn this desperation into an opportunity, provided, of course, that our rules and laws are respected,” concluded the minister.
Italy has seen an 87% increase in the number of migrants and refugees arriving by sea so far in 2023 with respect to the same period last year.
Of the arrivals, around 70% have landed on the tiny Sicilian island of Lampedusa, putting local reception and logistical capacity under strain.
Meloni has made the ‘external dimension’ of migration – namely, relations with countries of origin and transit, including Libya and particularly Tunisia, which is currently the main country of departure for people attempting the desperate journey across the central Mediterranean – a cornerstone of efforts to address the issue, while also insisting on a greater European response.
Source: Ansa News Agency