Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, has critiqued the migration memorandum between Italy and Libya, which was signed by Paolo Gentiloni, under the Democratic Party’s leadership.
Meloni, in her address to the Italian House of Representatives before the forthcoming European summit, noted that the migration pact was later overseen by then-Interior Minister, Marco Minniti. Interestingly, she pointed out that there are now sceptics questioning the dialogue with these key players, implying a marked inconsistency in the approach.
Meloni has sought to distance herself from this agreement, which was signed by Gentiloni’s government and Libyan factions allied with the former Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Fayez Al-Sarraj.
The pact has been branded as “questionable,” given that some involved have been accused of participating in migrant smuggling operations.
The migration agreement was signed in February 2017, and aimed to reduce the flow of migrants from Libya to Italy, which had increased dramatically during the years of instability following the fall of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. This agreement saw Italy providing support, including training and equipment, to the Libyan Coast Guard, to help them prevent migrants from leaving Libyan shores for Italy.
The agreement was controversial, with critics arguing that it led to migrants being trapped in Libya, and subjected to severe human rights abuses. Despite this controversy, the agreement was effective in significantly reducing the number of migrants reaching Italy.
The “double standard” mentioned may refer to the fact that while some Italian officials have criticized the agreement, due to the alleged involvement of people smugglers, the same agreement was monitored and carried forward by other Italian officials.
In sum, the migration agreement was a critical and controversial component of Italy’s approach to managing migration from North Africa. The comments by Meloni reflect ongoing debates within Italy about the best way to handle this complex issue.