Migrants, Tajani: "Ready to talk to France, but we need a European strategy on immigration"

On the eve of the Council of Foreign Ministers which tomorrow will address the immigration issue, at the request of Italy, the

reiterated Italy's position on the migrant issue and spoke on the clash with France, starting from the landing of the Ocean Viking in Toulon.

"There was a declaration in good faith from Palazzo Chigi, 'we thank France', then they took it as a provocation using exaggerated tones", remarked Tajani to the program 'Half an hour more'.

Italy "spoke of a ship that was going to French waters, we did not say 'she must go to France'".

On the tension with his cousins ​​from beyond the Alps, he continued: “For us there is nothing to hang up.

We are ready to talk to the French, it is they who have reacted disproportionately.

It seems to me more for a matter of internal politics ", said the Foreign Minister speaking to the program on Rai 3." No one wants to put fuel on the fire, but the problem must be faced at the European level. Of 90 thousand arrived in Italy, 8 thousand migrants had to be relocated to EU countries, but up to now 117 have been relocated, of which 36 to France. Italy has always done its part, we have always respected all agreements, it is the others who do not they kept ".

"The problem of immigration affects us in a particular way, we have 7,000 km of coastline which is a southern border of Europe", continued Tajani. "This year 90,000 migrants arrived in Italy, not only collected by NGOs. We continue to welcome them with a spirit of solidarity, but the issue must be addressed today, because in 2050 there will be 3 billion inhabitants in Africa and if we do not face it today as Europe, fighting climate change and hunger, we will have millions of people who will move .

We need a European strategy

, we need a Marshall plan for Africa and a short, medium and long-term strategy in order not to have millions of migrants - the Foreign Minister said again - Italy cannot be the only place of arrival .

Nowhere is it written that all migrants who want to arrive in Europe must land in Italy ".

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Migrants 325 rescued, arrived in Pozzallo and Augusta, 13 November 2022

He then reiterated the government's position on NGOs to the journalist Lucia Annunziata Tajani.

"European rules on NGOs would be needed, the European Commission could make a proposal, a communication, quickly, to address the issue - he said - as well as modernizing the Dublin Treaty. People must be saved, but I wouldn't want to - he warned. the minister - that some NGOs decide their migration policy, perhaps creating friction between different states ". 

The minister then underlined that "Europe must not only focus on combating illegal immigration, but also need long-term work to solve the problem at its root, creating development conditions that discourage departures". 

“As has been invested in Turkey - he added - so it could be done in Libya and in other countries where migrants leave.

We are in favor of reforming the memorandum with Libya.

And we need a tougher line towards human traffickers ".