On Saturday, the United Kingdom’s (UK) Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is reportedly planning a “strategic partnership” with Italy to strengthen collaboration between the two countries and halt the flow of migrants from the Mediterranean. With the aim of returning them to North Africa, specifically to Libya, according to the British newspaper, The Telegraph.
The newspaper divulged that PM Sunak is laying the groundwork for a novel joint accord with Italy. This agreement is designed to stem the tide of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and ensure their return to Libya.
In June, Sunak sent the UK’s top government official, Simon Case, to Italy for a series of meetings over two days with high-ranking officials in the Italian government.
The purpose was to hash out the details of a new “Strategic Migration Partnership” between the two nations.
The Telegraph reported that this partnership is expected to mirror certain aspects of the agreement with France by bolstering intelligence sharing on human trafficking, facilitating joint operations, and strengthening the cooperation between the border forces and national crime agencies of both nations.
Furthermore, the UK is backing Italy’s ongoing negotiations with Tunisia on a migrant repatriation agreement, akin to the Albanian model. Tunisia is a significant source of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, an EU-endorsed aid package worth £860 million is under consideration to help this North African country counter the migrant surge.
This initiative emerges amidst mounting fears of a near-tripled increase in the number of migrants reaching Italy through the Mediterranean this year, standing at over 62,000, a significant rise from 24,808 during the corresponding period last year.
The British government is apprehensive that this trend could lead to an increase in migrant numbers traversing the English Channel this summer. Although there’s been a 10% decrease in small boat crossings compared to the figures from 2022, the numbers have begun to climb again, with over 11,000 individuals making the crossing so far this year.
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, has recently reaffirmed his commitment to stemming the tide of immigration flows from Libya and Tunisia, according to the Italian Aki news agency
In press statements, Tajani highlighted the Italian government’s rigorous efforts to manage this complex issue.
In addition, the Italian Foreign Minister warned of the escalation of the political and military situation in Sudan. He expected migration flows to Italy, via Libya, would increase in the coming weeks due to the ongoing unrest.
In the same vein, Tommaso Foti, who heads Italy’s ruling right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party, raised concerns about the “peril of unregulated migration that might ensue should Libya and Tunisia face a state collapse. Such a scenario could trigger a mass exodus involving millions of people.”
In a stern warning, Foti asserted, “should Libya and Tunisia, both major launching points for migration, experience a state breakdown, we face the potential of millions fleeing these countries.” He added that 12% of the immigration problem is constituted by refugees, indicating that a significant 88% are economic migrants.
Libya has experienced significant political instability in recent years. Following the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been embroiled in conflict and has lacked a stable central government. This has made the country a transit point for migrants looking to reach Europe, especially Italy, which is geographically close to North Africa. Tunisia, while more politically stable, has also been a point of departure for many migrants due to economic struggles and political discontent.