Meloni clashes with opposition leader over migrant policy, defends EU pact

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has forcefully pushed back against opposition leader Elly Schlein's accusations of government failure in managing migrants. Schlein had characterized the government's decision to suspend Schengen free movement with Spain and ongoing disputes over returning migrants under the Dublin Regulation as a "boomerang" and a propaganda stunt.

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Schengen and the Pact on migration and asylum are two completely different things and have nothing to do with each other.

Meloni dedicated a lengthy social media post to address Schlein's remarks, emphasizing that the Schengen suspension and the new EU Migration and Asylum Pact are distinct matters. "Schengen and the Pact on migration and asylum are two completely different things and have nothing to do with each other," Meloni stated. She argued that the new pact represents a positive turning point for Italy regarding the management of migrants subject to the Dublin Regulation.

Schlein had criticized Meloni's move to suspend Schengen with Spain, noting that other European countries like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, and Sweden were resuming migrant returns to Italy. However, Meloni insisted that these issues should not be conflated. She highlighted that the new rules offer greater protection to frontline states in asylum applications and, with Italy's push for strengthening the "safe third country" principle, accelerated repatriations will become simpler.

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The new rules offer greater protection to frontline states in asylum applications and, with Italy's push for strengthening the 'safe third country' principle, accelerated repatriations will become simpler.

Meloni further asserted that her government has actively opposed rules that unfairly penalize Italy, successfully rejecting approximately 80,000 requests for migrant transfers from other member states since 2023. She defended the government's firm stance against passively accepting demands from other nations, suggesting the left would have accepted all requests, exacerbating the migrant flow situation. Meloni concluded by reiterating that Italy's priority remains combating mass illegal immigration, not merely managing migrant distribution within Europe, and pledged continued efforts to drastically reduce irregular arrivals.

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The priority for Italy remains, in any case, the fight against mass illegal immigration, not simply deciding how to distribute migrants in Europe.

Despite Meloni's defense, opposition figures like Angelo Bonelli of Avs and Laura Boldrini of the Democratic Party (Pd) maintained their criticism. Bonelli argued that Meloni abandoned a cohesive European solidarity policy, while Boldrini decried the "enormous failure" of promises to achieve zero immigration. Carlo Calenda of Azione called for EU intervention, citing the current situation where member states are preoccupied with small numbers of migrants amidst significant tensions. Brothers of Italy (FdI) member Giovanni Donzelli defended Meloni, stating no migrants have been returned to Italy yet and announcing plans to establish migrant containment centers (CPRs) even in regions opposed by local governments.

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Meloni has renounced building a real European policy of solidarity. And today she denies a problem that is the result of the choices she supported.