While in three days last week 8,500 people arrived on the Italian island, France wants to “help Italy maintain its external border”, assures the Minister of the Interior.
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Official trip to recall European firmness. The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin announced Monday September 18 on Europe 1 and Cnews that he would go to Rome in “the afternoon” to discuss European cooperation on the migration issue as 8,500 people arrived aboard 199 boats last week, according to figures from the United Nations migration agency. France wants in particular “help Italy hold its border” exterior, the first gateway to Europe from North Africa.
This situation has put the island’s reception capacities under severe strain. “There cannot be a message given to people who come to our (European) soil that they will be welcomed whatever happens”underlined Gérald Darmanin, who is coming to Rome to deliver a message of “firmness”. “We must apply European rules”he added.
“If there are asylum seekers who are eligible for asylum, who are persecuted for political reasons, obviously, they are refugees. And in this case, France (…), like she always has, can accommodate these people.”
Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interiorto Europe 1 and Cnews
According to the minister, in “60%” of cases, they “come from countries like Ivory Coast, Guinea, Gambia”Or “there is no humanitarian question”. “What we want to say to our Italian friends, who I believe are in complete agreement with us, (is) that we must protect the external borders of the European Union and above all immediately look at asylum requests , and when they are not eligible send them back to their country”he summarized.