Migration dispute between France and Italy – crisis meeting in Brussels

They wander on the road back to Italy. Those trying to enter France from Italy. Stopped and sent back to the Italian border town of Ventimiglia, which has become a kind of collection point for all emigrants who want to go to France or further to Great Britain or Northern Europe.

Harsh exchange of words

The situation with enhanced French border controls has been ongoing since 2015, but has heated up in recent weeks since the new Italian government refused to dock and disembark the Norwegian-registered aid ship Ocean Viking. France received the shipment, but responded with passport controls against Italy and for two days French police searched the tailgates of every car that crossed the border. The result is long queues and traffic chaos.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the French government’s reaction “aggressive” and “unjustified”. The French interior minister called Thurman’s Italian government “irresponsible”.

Now the traffic at the border is flowing decently again, but there is a fundamental problem: Italy does not want to take responsibility for all the people coming across the Mediterranean. France points out that Italy is breaking international law and thinks Italy is not doing its job by letting migrants into France – so border controls have been strengthened.

Crisis program of the European Union Commission

At a meeting in Brussels on Friday, EU Commissioner Jylva Johansson will present a crisis plan on migration to try to resolve the bitter conflict. The content consists of 20 points where Johansson believes that rapid actions are possible.

– Now the situation is not stable, he said in a short press conference on Monday.

It will, among other things, require the border agency Frontex to rapidly investigate the situation in the Mediterranean to see where additional support is needed. Another thing is to quickly start targeted return efforts for those who do not have the right to stay in the EU.

– We must take into account that the majority of people crossing the central Mediterranean now do not need international protection, Johansen said.