Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has called for the European Union (EU) to implement a naval blockade in the Mediterranean Sea in an effort to curb the flow of migrants. Meloni argues that the “future of Europe” is at stake and that a blockade is the only “serious” solution to the ongoing crisis. Her comments come after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s recent visit to Lampedusa, an Italian island that has been overwhelmed by the influx of migrants. In just one week, over 10,000 migrants arrived on the island, surpassing its population of 6,000.
According to figures from The Telegraph, Italy has seen 126,000 migrants enter the country since the beginning of the year, nearly double the number compared to the same period in 2022. Meloni has made stopping the flow of migration a central policy promise. Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, agrees that a naval blockade may be the only solution, but doubts that the EU or other countries will support the effort.
However, some European leaders, including German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and French President Emmanuel Macron, have expressed their support for Italy and acknowledge the need for a coordinated European response to the crisis. Gardiner suggests that Italy leaving the EU and the European Convention on Human Rights could potentially help combat the crisis, but acknowledges that there is a lack of political will for such moves. He believes that implementing a naval blockade would be a popular option among Italians.
Gardiner concludes that Italy must take decisive action on its own and deploy its navy to prevent migrant vessels from reaching its shores. Waiting for the EU to act, in his opinion, would only result in a flood of illegal migrants entering the country. The situation in the Mediterranean Sea continues to be a pressing issue, and Meloni’s call for a naval blockade highlights the urgency of finding a solution to the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe.
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