The Prime Minister of Italy, far-right Giorgia Meloni, and her Danish counterpart, Social Democrat Mette Frederiksen, have launched a joint initiative to strengthen European migration policy. In a letter signed by both leaders and published on their social media, they directly link irregular immigration to rising crime. They use this argument to demand an increase in deportations and the creation of deportation centers in third countries.
“No one can deny the negative consequences of illegal immigration for our societies,” state Meloni and Frederiksen. Without supporting their theses with sources, statistics, or research, they list among these consequences increased crime, pressure on public services, and loss of citizen trust in institutions.
The two leaders particularly focus on immigrants with irregular status, who “have no right to stay in our countries” and who “commit violent crimes, drug trafficking, or sexual assaults.” This link between immigration and security has become one of the key elements of their political positions, although such statements are often made without specific data or research.
Meloni and Frederiksen call for increased deportations
Both heads of government have long demonstrated notable political accord, especially on migration issues following the crisis in Ceuta, despite coming from very different ideological traditions. They have once again shown this unity by advocating for stronger EU migration policies and new measures to facilitate the deportation of migrants with irregular status.
“We realize that many may question our cooperation. We come from very different political positions and undoubtedly do not agree on everything. We are the only two women leading governments in the EU. One of us leads a large country in the south; the other, a small country in the north. But we are united by our desire to protect Europe,” they explain.
In the letter, which they present as “a collection of reflections on the future of Europe, the safety of its citizens, and the need to protect our values and our way of life,” both leaders argue that Europe must have more tools to deport those who have no right to stay in the EU. They also note the progress made in simplifying deportations and call for the next step: creating return centers in third countries where migrants awaiting deportation will be transferred.
“Together, we have managed to change the approach to the application of the European Convention on Human Rights regarding foreign nationals who commit serious crimes. Therefore, the number of deportations should now increase,” they note. And they add: “What else can we do now? It is necessary to create repatriation centers in third countries, as well as other innovative solutions outside of Europe. We are working hard on this.”
According to: El País
