Meloni wins: the EU buys into her immigration rhetoric
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has seemingly become the leading ideological figure in the European Union. After her plan to transfer migrants and asylum seekers to Albanian deportation camps was rejected by the Italian courts, the entire EU has now voted in a formal agreement to approve this system, which will allow each country to... export their unwanted migrants in deportation camps located in non-EU countries. In fact, yesterday's agreement is a major victory for both Meloni and the far-right's ideology, and represents a setback for the policies respecting human rights and defending human values that might still have remained in Europe.
One of the few countries that opposed it is Spain, but not only has it been left almost alone, it has also seen its compensation from other countries, especially those in Eastern and Northern Europe, reduced. These countries receive the main migratory pressure, which includes not only Spain but also Italy, Greece, and Malta. The initial budget of 600 million euros has been reduced to 420 million, and the number of migrants to be distributed has been reduced from 30,000 to 21,000. The fast-track reform of anti-immigration measures also includes changes to the list of "safe countries," restricting the ability of migrants from other countries to seek asylum in the EU. In addition to those seeking entry into the EU, this includes countries such as Kosovo, Colombia, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The most contentious point, however, is this acceptance of the system of deportation camps in third countries—that is, countries that are neither part of the European Union nor have any connection whatsoever with the affected immigrant. In principle, it is assumed that in these countries, with which each state would sign bilateral agreements, the human rights of migrants must be respected. However, this is a premise on paper that, in previous cases, such as the agreements with Tunisia, has been shown not to be upheld, according to activists and journalistic reports. This is compounded by the fact that these large prisons in other countries are a highly lucrative hell for the host country. Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attempted this with Rwanda, and Donald Trump succeeded, in a far more brutal way, by transferring migrants to prisons in Bukele's El Salvador.
The EU is increasingly resembling what Trump would like it to be: a far-right stronghold where little remains of the spirit of solidarity from its beginnings. However much some, like António Costa, President of the European Council, call for defending its independence, the truth is that until now the EU has bought everything Trump has asked for—from weapons to policies—so it's no surprise that migration policy is now becoming that of its main ally in Europe, increasingly championed by Giorgia Meloni.
