The Italian government and the EU are considering measures to help facilitate regular migration after Sunday’s shipwreck off the coast of Calabria.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced plans to develop a comprehensive migration plan after Sunday's deadly shipwreck off the coast of Calabria.
The prime minister said she intends to simplify and speed up every stage of the migrant and asylee vetting and resettling processes.
Amid the political spats that unraveled in response to the shipwreck, Italy's Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, announced intended plans to “define, in agreement with other colleagues involved, some legislative measures” on migration and to “continue strengthening the legal entry channels."
Already '500,000 requests to work in Italy'
Italy has received over half a million requests to enter the country to work in production, agriculture, transport and tertiary sectors over the past few months, according to Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida.
He said the government is working to find ways to accommodate these requests.
Even the European Union is moving, albeit with caution.
"The Commission has presented a proposal that I hope will be accepted, but we cannot just say ‘Europe must solve it’ — the EU cannot solve everything. Its budget is equal to one seventh or eighth of the Italian one," said Paolo Gentiloni, EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs.
In light of the many tragedies in the Mediterranean caused by these desperate crossings, the key to fight smugglers and the risk of a never ending tragedy at sea seems to be legal migration.
“We have disregarded [creating a] migration flow plan for years, which [would create] opportunity for those who wish to come to our country legally and safely," Lollobrigida added.
'We must avoid migrants relying on smugglers'
These statements are confirmation of a political line already outlined by Piantedosi long ago.
The politician told the Italian Senate's Constitutional Affairs Committee that to find concrete answers to the migration issue, the EU needs to act firmly to implement responsible and supportive policies. He said strong cooperation among the transit countries is also necessary.
“We must avoid that those who flee wars decide to rely on ruthless human smugglers," he said, adding that in Libya, “the objective is to help in emptying the detention centers."
The minister called for the construction of new shelter centers for repatriations and an increase in contact with countries of departure.