The visit of Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who went to the Lampedusa hotspot together with the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson, was welcomed partly with warmth and partly with criticism, who was keen to underline, right away, that “no EU member state should be left alone, the European Union is already doing something and wants to do more from a financial point of view, as soon as possible. Certainly it is not enough, if not supported by European legislation”. The head of the Viminale expressed his appreciation for “the presence of European Commissioner Johansson, here in Lampedusa as a concrete presence, a sign of Europe’s willingness to support Italy”. Both visited the reception center, which has been under the management of the Italian Red Cross since June 1st.
“This is not just an Italian challenge – remarked Johansson -, but a European challenge. You are not alone. I am very impressed by what you are doing in Lampedusa, such a small island on which there is so much pressure”. Piantedosi underlined that “there are no miraculous solutions to solve the phenomenon of migration, but something is being built that can allow for a more orderly management of the phenomenon, which brings together humanitarian but also security aspects”. Among the possible solutions that have been discussed are collaborations with the countries from which the migratory flows depart. “Tunisia is a very close partner because together with us it faces the essential challenges – underlined Johansson -, we are very satisfied with the collaboration with the Tunisian government. We must improve the prevention and refoulement capacity and we must work together against human traffickers We agreed with Tunisia that collaboration needs to be improved with an all-encompassing agreement both for the fight against traffickers and for improving the country’s ability to allow citizens to return to their countries of origin with dignity”.
Meanwhile, the interior minister also provided some data on the trend of the phenomenon: “In the first six months of this year we recorded a first timid and modest sign of improvement in repatriations, with an increase of six hundred people more than in previous year. The goal is to make the return system increasingly effective”. Piantedosi and Johansson’s visit to Lampedusa was welcomed positively by the president of Sicily, Renato Schifani, who expressed his appreciation for a day which for him constitutes “a sign of great attention from national and international institutions towards the island, which faces a continuous emergency and calls for definitive solutions to the problems associated with the uninterrupted flow of migrants”. Criticisms, however, have come from the opposition and from NGOs. “These are empty words given that no compulsory solidarity mechanism is in place and that the EU is doing nothing to avoid further deaths at sea – said Giorgia Linardi, spokesperson for Sea-Watch -, the European institutional visit seems entirely in line with the approach already seen in Greece, which seeks to sweeten the pill to the countries on the European borders, without actually being able to impose a real and concrete line of solidarity at European level, whose primary objective is the protection of human life” . Even the former mayor of Lampedusa Totò Martello, today leader of the Democratic Party in the island’s municipal council, is tough: “A catwalk in favor of cameras – he underlined -, a visit of just over an hour during which they didn’t even meet the fishermen who had raised the problem of migrant boats abandoned at sea. And the mayor Filippo Mannino, instead of being the spokesperson for the proposals and requests of the Lampedusans, limited himself to being the minister’s butler”.
