Italy’s Meloni Has Had Enough Of Uncontrolled Migrant Surge

Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a stern warning last week after months of dodging the nation’s illegal migrant crisis. She said nothing less than the “future of Europe is at stake” after watching thousands more migrants flood a small Italian island.

A seemingly endless procession of watercraft deposited swarms of illegal migrants onto the continent, and Meloni was elected on the promise of stemming the invasion.

She visited besieged Lampedusa last week along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Meloni insisted that the EU must unite in its common interest of stopping uncontrolled migration.

Critics have long charged that Meloni abandoned her campaign platform by refusing forceful actions to end the migrant flow. But the ever-increasing numbers may have forced her hand.

Just between Monday and Wednesday, an estimated 8,500 people arrived at the island of Lampedusa on a staggering 199 boats.

This is more than the entire island population.

Lampedusa is nearer to Africa than the Italian mainland, which means it is a frequent target for illegals arriving from across the water.

EU President Leyen gave a guarded statement to the crisis, saying just that “irregular immigration is a European challenge that needs a European response.” She vaguely called on other EU states to take in some of the new arrivals.

Meloni told reporters, “I intend to reiterate a request for an immediate EU mission to block the departure of migrant boats.” Despite her campaign pledge to get a handle on illegal immigration, over125,000 migrants have reportedly reached Italy so far in 2023.

That figure is almost double the amount from the same time last year.

Meloni announced that her cabinet will convene early this week to consider emergency measures to respond to the burgeoning illegal migrant crisis. Among proposals are asking the military to construct larger reception buildings for the migrants.

The cabinet will also consider extending the time that migrants may be detained.

Most of the illegal migrants who land on Italian shores originate from the north African country of Tunisia. Meloni and the EU reached an agreement with the nation in July to restrict the endless flow of migrants in exchange for funding.

The program has yet to be implemented, and the influx marches on.