Georgia Meloni formulates grand plan to fight illegal immigration

“We want the agreement with Tunisia to serve as a template. A blueprint for the future. For partnerships with other countries in the region,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the conference.

Tunisian President Kais Said was also among those in attendance.

the pope speaks out

Pope Francis called on European and African governments to help migrants trapped in the deserts of North Africa and prevent the Mediterranean from becoming a “theater of death” again for those trying to cross it, before a crowd in nearby St. Peter’s Square early Sunday.

Conference host Italy is struggling to cope with the number of illegal immigrants arriving in hubs such as the far south island of Lampedusa.

However, the population is also aging and shrinking, requiring additional workers to support the economy.

Earlier this month, Italy pledged to issue 452,000 new work visas to non-EU citizens between 2023 and 2025, with annual permits rising to a peak of 165,000 in 2025. In 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19, Italy issued only 30,850 visas.

The number of people entering Italy has surged this year, with more than 83,000 landing so far, compared with about 34,000 in the same period in 2022.

Reuters