04/07/2023 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 4 July, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, renewed the EU's solidarity with the Italian government and Sicily during her first visit to Lampedusa. “Impressed” by the work of the Sicilian authorities, the police and the Italian coastguard to “save lives”, she assured the Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, that Italy “is not alone” and that no Member State can manage alone the challenges of migration, which require a “European response”. She pointed out that the Commission is considering the possibility of releasing new funding for Lampedusa and Italy. The Italian minister, for his part, saw this visit as a “signal” of firmness sent to migrant smugglers, which will precede further “concrete action” to prevent sea crossings. (SP)