In Paris on Friday 15 June, the leaders of France and Italy, Emmanuel Macron and Giuseppe Conte, hoped to ‘turn the page’ of the diplomatic crisis generated by how the Aquarius migrant ship (which Italy has refused to let disembark on its soil) crisis is handled, so that possible solutions can be found for a European answer to the challenge of migration in the perspective of the European Summit on 28 and 29 June.
The two men both noted that the EU's response since the migration crisis broke out in 2015 has not been equal to the challenge faced by Italy. The French president said that on migration and on deepening the eurozone, ‘Europe lacks solidarity.’
Macron defended his country, however, explaining that France plays its part in the hosting of asylum-seekers. In the first four months of 2018, Italy had 18,000 asylum requests and France 26,000, he explained.
Conte called on his European partners to ‘completely change strategy’ on the question of migration and reform of the European asylum system. Rome opposes the current reform of the Dublin II regulation as envisaged by the Council (see EUROPE 12034), wanting a total reform of the concept of ‘country of first entry’ whereby it is the country in which a migrant enters the EU that deals with his or her application for asylum.
Conte said that people who set foot in Italy set foot in the EU.
The Italian prime minister stressed the need to decide on a new concept of ‘European borders’ and Rome will develop its own position during the Austrian Presidency. He mentioned the idea of migrant ‘protection’ centres in third countries where migrants would be identified and find out whether they are eligible for claiming asylum in the EU.
Projects of this nature have already been launched in countries surrounding Libya.
Macron, who will be meeting the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, in Berlin on Tuesday 19 June, called for a stronger partnership ‘with countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean to better avert flows of migration and have a real humanitarian response’ and for a larger budget for the European coastguard and border guard body.
The French president said that the current response to the migration challenge via the imposition of compulsory quotas for sharing out asylum-seekers had not demonstrated its effectiveness, and recommended greater solidarity from the countries the most opposed to intra-European solidarity. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)