Brussels, 22/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Is Italy over-exaggerating the “threat” of massive immigration from Libya? That question was beginning to be asked on Tuesday 22 February, with home affairs ministers due to meet in Brussels on Thursday 24 February to discuss the recent political upheavals in North Africa and their effect on migration. Some, indeed, are due to meet in Rome on Wednesday 23, after Italy convened a meeting of the home affairs ministers of Spain, France, Malta, Cyprus and Greece to garner support for its course of action.
At the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday 21 February, Franco Frattini said that Italy could be facing an “unimaginable” wave of migrants with “hundreds of people” arriving in Europe and, on those grounds, called for member states to show caution in their condemnation of the Libyan repression of the demonstrations. On Monday evening, some in the Italian media were speaking of the possible arrival of 2 million people from Libya, a country of only 6 million inhabitants.
On Tuesday, it appeared that these fears were not shared by all of Italy's partners. On Monday, Germany had already said that things had quietened down after a huge wave of arrivals of Tunisian migrants in Lampedusa within the space of a few days and that the means put in place by the EU, such as the Hermes mission, would now calm the situation. On Tuesday morning, it was France taking a more moderate stance, saying that “Italy has not been submerged” and that “there is no massive influx” to Italy, according to one source.
Another source said that the announcements were a little “tactical” and aimed at the Italian population, Italy counting on EU financial support and having also hitherto been strongly committed to the regime in Tripoli, providing aid in exchange for cooperation in preventing illegal immigration. This cooperation has now been put in doubt by the Libyan authorities.
On Tuesday, it was also a question of money at the Commission, which stated that it was continuing to examine the possibility of emergency financial aid for Italy and which pointed out that funding of €75 million had long been planned. Some sources state that, in any event, Italy will “certainly not receive €100 million”, with one source saying the issue will not even really be up for discussion on Thursday at the JHA Council.
At the Council meeting, there will be talk of solidarity among member states, with a discussion scheduled on asylum. Here again, a source reveals, it will not be about “sharing the load” of illegal immigrants arriving in Europe. France, for example, has been very clear in its view that sharing the burden would just bring more illegal immigration without solving anything. European solidarity is first and foremost definite initiatives, such as the Hermes mission, according to France, and beginning to give serious thought to a real system of European border guards. The strengthening of Frontex, then, is likely to be central to discussions on Thursday. (S.P./transl.rt)