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The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, canceled his official visit to France scheduled for this Thursday, May 4, after criticism by the French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, of Rome’s migration policy. Some comments that were interpreted by Tajani as “insults” against the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni. Although Paris tried to reduce the tension, a new diplomatic clash opens in the midst of the refugee crisis.
France and Italy, faced again over the immigration issue. This time the disagreements cover the diplomatic plane.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that he canceled his official visit to Paris, which was scheduled for this Thursday, May 4, due to what he described as “insults” and “unacceptable” comments by French Interior Minister Gérald Darmain.
His statements came after in an interview with local radio, Darmanin pointed out that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is “incapable of solving the migration problems” facing her country.
Almost immediately, Tajani disagreed with a message through his Twitter account. “The insults to the Government of Italy uttered by Minister Darmain are unacceptable. This is not the spirit in which common European challenges should be addressed,” he said.
Non andrò a Parigi per il foreseen uncontro with @MinColonna .Le offendes al goberno ed all’Italia pronouncing the minister @GDarmanin sono inaccettabili.Non è questo lo spirito con il quale si dovrebbero affrontare sfide europeane communi.
– Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) May 4, 2023
Shortly after, the government of Emmanuel Macron tried to ease tensions by declaring that it hoped that the scheduled meeting between the Italian foreign minister and his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, could be rescheduled “soon”.
Paris also extended its intention to continue working with Rome and assured that migration issues must be addressed jointly by all members of the European Union.
“The French government wishes to work with Italy to face the common challenge of the rapidly increasing flows of immigrants,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The background to the tension between Rome and Paris
This is not the first time that both governments have clashed over the refugee crisis in Europe, mainly from Africa.
While the government of French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly clashed with Italian cabinets in recent years over the flow of refugees, tensions are rising months after the most right-wing government in Italy’s history came to power since the Benito Mussolini. An Administration with a marked nationalist vision that differs from that of the French president.
One of the recent disagreements occurred last November, when Meloni refused to allow the Ocean Viking humanitarian ship, which was carrying 230 migrants rescued overseas, to dock in Italy.
In the midst of a scuffle, the French government announced its decision to host the vessel “exceptionally”, but called Rome’s refusal “unacceptable” and announced sanctions for its “behavior” in response to requests for humanitarian aid. In addition, it suspended plans to receive 3,500 immigrants from Italy.
In turn, Meloni responded that France’s reaction was “aggressive” and “unjustified”.
Although since then bilateral relations have shown signs of improvement, including the meetings in Brussels between Macron and Meloni, what is evident is that migration continues to be a sensitive issue between the two partners of the European Union.
Italy has implemented tougher immigration policies since Meloni became the Executive. Among the controversial measures is a decree that limits the number of rescues that a humanitarian organization can carry out. In this sense, it forces the ship to ask the authorities for the assignment of a port, after carrying out a first rescue and to go to that place without deviating to respond to more ships that may be in danger.
In addition, non-profit organizations point out that for weeks, the Italian authorities have diverted their ships along the entire national coast, even in the center-north of the country or the coast of the Adriatic Sea. A measure that forces them to take long journeys of up to five days to disembark the migrants, instead of directing them to places close to the areas where a rescue takes place.
Despite the regulations, in the midst of economic, political and social crises in Africa, Italy has experienced an increase in the arrival of immigrants: more than 42,400 people have arrived in that country so far in 2023, compared to some 11,220 in the same period last year.
With Reuters and AFP
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