Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni met her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw. Italy, one of the first stops for those crossing the Mediterranean to seek asylum in Europe, is eager to reduce their numbers.
Last week, Poland and Hungary vetoed a statement by the European leaders on priorities for limiting arrivals and voted against a June 8 deal that offsets obligations on countries of arrival by requiring other members to provide support.
The governments in Warsaw and Budapest insist that stopping people from entering the EU is the best approach. After his conversations with Morawiecki, Meloni opined that the bloc will never be able to “find a real solution” to the situation when the migrants are already in Europe.
“I think our position is essentially the same. We want to stop illegal immigration,” Meloni said. Regarding the position of the Polish government, he added that “I cannot stop defending someone who defends national interests.”
Morawiecki said it was “fundamental” for his government to “shield” the EU’s external borders and that he opposes a provision in the June deal that imposes fines of 20,000 euros on countries that refuse to receive their share of asylum seekers. ($21,400) per person.
Poland has received millions of refugees from the Ukrainian war, of whom 1.2 million have received residence, work, education and social assistance permits.
FUENTE: Associated Press
Leave your comment
