New Franco-Italian diplomatic crisis around immigration? “The French government wishes to work with Italy to face the common challenge represented by the rapid increase in migratory flows”declared this Thursday, May 4, French diplomacy, in the form of an update after the remarks of the French Minister of the Interior criticizing Italian policy.
Earlier, Gérald Darmanin had estimated that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was “unable to solve migration problems” of Italy, a country which is experiencing a “very serious migration crisis”.
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“Madame Meloni, far-right government chosen by friends of Mrs. (Marine) Le Pen, is unable to solve the migration problems on which she was elected”said the minister, when asked about RMC concerning remarks by the president of the far-right National Rally (RN) party Jordan Bardella concerning the migratory situation at the Franco-Italian border.
“Yes, there is an influx of migrants and especially minors” in the south of France, admitted Gérald Darmanin, who puts the blame on the Italian neighbor:
“The truth is that there is in Tunisia (…) a political situation which means that many children in particular go up through Italy and that Italy is incapable (…) of managing this migratory pressure”.
“I will not go to Paris”
Consequence: Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani canceled his visit to Paris after the remarks “unacceptable” of French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
“I will not go to Paris for the scheduled meeting with” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Antonio Tajani announced on Twitter. “The offenses against the government and Italy launched by Mr. Darmanin are unacceptable. This is not the spirit with which we must face common European challenges..
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For its part, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes that a visit to Paris by the head of Italian diplomacy, canceled by Rome because of remarks by the French Minister of the Interior judged “unacceptable”, “can be rescheduled quickly”.
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The Quai d’Orsay wants “a peaceful dialogue”
The bilateral relationship is “based on mutual respect, between our two countries and between their leaders”also underlined the Quai d’Orsay.
The work between the two countries is focused in particular on migrants “from the central Mediterranean”especially from Tunisia. “This issue must be addressed by all Member States, bearing in mind that we can only succeed and be effective through consultation and peaceful dialogue”the ministry also added.
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In addition, recalls the Quai, “the external dimension of migration, which notably involves closely strengthening cooperation with the countries of origin or transit of migrants, is one of the pillars of European strategy and is the subject of exchanges between the French governments and Italian, in particular between the two Foreign Ministers”.
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The visit of the head of Italian diplomacy will be his first in France since taking office, said Anne-Claire Legendre, spokesperson for the Quai d’Orsay. “This will be an opportunity for the two ministers to both discuss support for Ukraine and the common challenges in the Mediterranean Sea”she clarified.
A context of general tensions
Last November, the two countries experienced a strong outbreak of fever when the government of Giorgia Meloni, who had just come to power, refused to allow the humanitarian ship of the NGO SOS Méditerranée to dock, which ended up being welcomed for the first time by France, in Toulon. The episode had angered Paris, which had called a European meeting so that this unprecedented scenario did not happen again.
Since then, clandestine crossings by boat have increased, with the development of a new maritime corridor between Tunisia and Italy, in the front line at the gates of Europe. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, more than 36,000 people have arrived via the Mediterranean in Italy this year, compared to around 9,000 during the same period in 2022.
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In this context, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced at the end of April the mobilization of 150 police and gendarmes “additional” in the Alpes-Maritimes department to make “in the face of increased migratory pressure at the Italian border”as well as the creation of a « border force »a force at the frontiers.
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“In Australia, it works very well”defended Gérald Darmanin on Thursday: “At the border, we call people and make them pass identity checks”.
At the Franco-Italian border, the State must ” to accompany “ et “working with Mr. (Eric) Ciotti”the president of the right-wing Les Républicains party and MP for the Alpes-Maritimes who recently called on the government to mobilize “massive means to stop the migratory submersion underway at the border”.
Upstream, in the Mediterranean, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) assured in April, the first quarter of 2023 was the deadliest for migrants since 2017.
