The Italian Cabinet met Monday to adopt new measures to crack down on migration after the southern island of Lampedusa was again overwhelmed by a wave of arrivals from Tunisia and the migration issue returned to center stage in Europe with talk of a naval blockade.
, which is closer to Tunisia than the Italian mainland, was overwhelmed last week by nearly 7,000 migrants in a day, more than the island's resident population. Italy has been offloading them slowly by ferry to Sicily and other ports, but the arrivals once again stoked tensions on the island and in political corridors, especially ahead of European Parliament elections next year.
Meloni visited Lampedusa on Sunday with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who took a hard line, vowing: "We will decide who comes to the European Union, and under what circumstances. Not the smugglers." Von der Leyen laid out a 10-point plan that included a pledge of support to prevent departures of smuggling boats by establishing "operational partnerships on anti-smuggling" with countries of origins and transit.
Under the deal von der Leyen signed with Tunisia, the EU pledged to provide funds for "the provision of equipment, training and technical support necessary to further improve the management of Tunisia's borders." For example, it is helping to pay for the refurbishment of 17 vessels belonging to Tunisian authorities.
Vice Premier Matteo Salvini, head of the populist, right-wing League, has challenged the efficacy of Meloni's EU-Tunisia deal and hosted French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen at an annual League rally in northern Italy on Sunday. Just a few days earlier, Le Pen's niece and far-right politician Marion Marechal was on Lampedusa blasting the French government's response to the migration issue.
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