The EU has promised fast assist to Italy because the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa struggles with a surge in migrant arrivals, however has didn’t make clear what new measures its so-called ’10-point plan for Lampedusa’ contains.
Among the many pledges made by the EU are supporting Italy to switch migrants to different EU member states, returning migrants to their international locations of origin, and contemplating new “naval missions” within the Mediterranean.
It additionally guarantees to implement the controversial migration deal struck between the EU and Tunisia in July. A complete of €105 million in EU help has been allotted to stem migration from the North African nation, which has change into a preferred departure level for Europe, however funds are but to be made.
EU Fee chief Ursula von der Leyen joined Italian premier Giorgia Meloni in Lampedusa over the weekend, the place she visited reception centres which were overwhelmed by the inflow of migrants making the harmful journey from North Africa, primarily from Tunisia.
Greater than 7,000 migrants are reported to have arrived on Lampedusa in 24 hours over the weekend, greater than the island’s inhabitants.
However when questioned on the substance of the plan on Monday, European Fee spokespersons have been unable to verify how among the proposals would work in follow.
Stepping up transfers and returns
The EU has pledged to ease the burden on Italy by transferring migrants from Lampedusa to different member states, in addition to stepping up outreach to the migrants’ international locations of origin to barter returns.
However forward of a go to to Rome on Monday, French Inside Minister Gérald Darmanin mentioned France was not getting ready to simply accept migrants from Lampedusa, regardless of von der Leyen calling for EU international locations to take action beneath the EU’s so-called voluntary solidarity mechanism.
“We should defend the European Union’s exterior borders and, above all, instantly take a look at asylum purposes,” Darmanin mentioned.
Final week, Germany resumed its acceptance of refugees from Italy after quickly suspending the voluntary settlement in response to excessive migratory pressures.
Round 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy because the starting of this yr, nearly twice greater than in the identical interval in 2022. However since June final yr, solely 1,159 folks have been relocated from Italy to different EU international locations.
European Commissioner Vice-President Margaritis Schinas will likely be tasked with visiting the sub-Saharan African international locations the place most migrants originate, together with Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Burkina Faso, to barter the return of migrants not eligible for asylum in Europe.
The Fee was unable to verify the precise dates for the visits however mentioned Schinas can be endeavor his process as a matter of precedence within the subsequent days and weeks.
The EU says it would additionally velocity up the processing of asylum requests and the returns to international locations of origin thought-about ‘secure’. However humanitarian organisations imagine this can put asylum seekers at an obstacle.
“An accelerated asylum process worries us as a result of we predict it might result in dangers of decay of the Geneva Conference,” Sara Prestianni of EuroMedRights advised Euronews. “We worry there is not going to be sufficient time for these conditions, which ought to permit asylum seekers to have time for explanations, in order that their story may be heard.
Increasing “naval missions”
One other EU proposal that seems ill-defined nonetheless is the one which goals to “discover choices to broaden naval missions within the Mediterranean”, which echoes the calls made final week by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for an EU naval mission to stop boats from crossing to Italy from North Africa.
However the EU government was not in a position to affirm on Monday whether or not such missions would have the ability to forestall migrant boats from crossing into EU territory.
“We’ll step up border surveillance at sea and the aerial surveillance – together with via Frontex – and discover choices of naval missions on this,” a spokesperson on behalf of the European Fee mentioned.
A naval blockade stopping boats from crossing – as proposed by Meloni – can be in breach of worldwide maritime legislation as EU ships wouldn’t have the ability to function inside 12 nautical miles of third international locations’ coastlines, nor forestall ships from docking in EU ports.
The EU government additionally says it would work with Frontex, the EU border safety company, to step up surveillance within the Mediterranean and to crack down on smuggling operations on the route from Tunisia to Lampedusa.
Nevertheless because the Tunisian authorities has by no means agreed to permit Frontex officers to function in its territory, it’s unclear how such an association might yield outcomes.
Final week, the Tunisian authorities blocked the entry of a European Parliament mission to its territory, after EU lawmakers scathingly criticised President Saied for alleged human rights violations towards migrants.
The transfer is a worrying signal that the working relationship between the Tunisian and EU authorities has soured, and will severely undermine efforts to collectively crack down on the human trafficking networks working on the Tunisian coast.
The European Fee failed to verify on Monday if negotiations on migration are underway with different northern African international locations. The manager has beforehand mentioned it could use the Tunisia settlement as a blueprint for offers with different international locations resembling Egypt and Morocco.
The Italian authorities, in the meantime, agreed on Monday to new emergency measures, together with extending the time migrants who do not qualify for asylum may be detained from six to 18 months.
Meloni reportedly advised the Council of Ministers that von der Leyen’s go to to Lampedusa was symbolically vital and warranted that her authorities would intently monitor the EU’s commitments, together with unblocking the monetary assets promised to Tunisia.