Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni made a bold statement during her recent visit to Libya, where she attended a migration forum hosted by Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Libya has emerged as a critical transit point for migrants escaping conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, seeking passage to Europe.
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Meloni emphasized Italy’s challenges in managing migration, stating, “In recent years, Italy has faced difficulties managing irregular immigration due to the high influx of migrants.”
Migrants often embark on dangerous sea crossings aboard overcrowded and poorly equipped ships upon reaching the coast, with Italy serving as a major destination across the Mediterranean.
“To promote legal migration, my government has increased quotas over the past three years, particularly for countries collaborating in the fight against human trafficking,” Meloni emphasized.
The United Nations has reported a rise in migrants and refugees moving northward through Africa towards the Mediterranean and Europe, facing perilous journeys through the Sahara where criminal groups subject them to various abuses.
A recent joint report by the UN refugee and migration agencies, alongside the Mixed Migration Centre, highlighted that land routes in Africa are twice as deadly as sea routes across the Mediterranean, already known as the most perilous maritime path for migrants globally.
In March, authorities discovered a mass grave in western Libya containing the remains of at least 65 migrants.
Meloni’s right-wing government in Italy has prioritized reducing migration by signing agreements with African nations to discourage departures, imposing restrictions on humanitarian rescue vessels, targeting traffickers arriving in Italy, and implementing measures to dissuade potential migrants from embarking on risky journeys.
