newYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Italy’s right-wing leader Giorgia Meloni’s party’s earthquake victory in recent elections has drawn renewed attention to Europe’s ongoing immigration crisis, which continues to have political ramifications across the continent.
Meloni’s Italian brothers are likely to win votes in Italy’s national elections and form a government with coalition partners Ligue 1 and Forza Italia. had a political impact.
Meloni has campaigned on multiple issues, including the role of the family, the protection of Italy’s national identity, and economic and energy issues, but the fight over illegal immigration has been a major threat to the Italian right for years. remained an important electoral issue.
Both the Italian Brothers and the League consistently base their campaign platforms on border security and the fight against illegal immigration.In Italy, which is at the forefront of migrant flows coming from Africa, the promise of these campaigns resonates with voters.
Mussolini comparisons infuriated US media over Italy’s first female prime minister
For years Italy has struggled to cope with the traffic of migrant ships crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. The issue was highlighted during the first migrant crisis in 2015, and although its numbers have slowed since the crisis across the continent, it remains a thorny political issue in countries like Italy.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 67,851 migrants arrived by sea in Italy alone so far this year, up more than 50% from 44,152 in the same period last year. Egypt, Tunisia and Bangladesh are the top three countries of origin for migrants, and 75% of them are adult males.
When the League was a minority party in the 2018-19 government, leader Matteo Salvini served as Minister of the Interior and took a number of proactive actions against illegal immigration. It included preventing rescue ships from mooring in Italy. He’s still on trial on kidnapping charges.
Meloni called for similar policies, condemning efforts to call Italy a “refugee camp” in Europe, and promising to prevent migrant ships and form a naval blockade to protect Italy from “unchecked migrants.” She also suggested screening immigrants in Africa before leaving by ship to Italy.
“The sensible approach is to follow my rules and come to my house,” she told The Washington Post earlier this month. It exists only if there is and it is followed.”
“It is not solidarity to take in hundreds of thousands of people and continue to encourage them to take drugs or force them into prostitution on the margins of our society.” she said.
Meloni is also likely to urge the EU to do more to help Italy with the crisis it is facing. Center-left Prime Minister Mario Draghi has also called on the European Union to do more to help countries meet the wave of immigration head-on.
Piers Morgan on Italian elections: People around the world are fed up with the ‘hyper-awake, leftist agenda’
The issue of immigration does not only have political implications for Italy. Earlier this month, Sweden saw a surge in support for the right-wing Swedish Democratic Party, overthrowing the ruling centre-left government and becoming the second largest party.
Sweden’s Democratic Party has campaigned to restrict immigration, which has become the biggest problem amid a surge in related crime and gang shootings. accepted immigrants from Swedish Democratic Party leader Jimmy Akesson has described Islamic immigration as the biggest foreign policy threat to Sweden since World War II.
Other countries are taking their own steps to address the continued concerns of huge numbers of immigrants. Dodged the imminent challenge and moved right on this issue. President Macron has promised to implement legislation to facilitate the deportation of failed asylum seekers, and the French government has recently started moving towards legislation.
In Britain, the ruling Conservative government is facing historic levels of immigration from France across the English Channel by boat.
The government has instead introduced a new policy of deporting migrants to Rwanda to claim asylum. But so far, that policy has been blocked by court challenges. The government has pledged to fight to implement this policy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.