The head of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, warns: The EU is in sleepwalking mode, even though the number of asylum seekers in Italy has exploded by 300 percent.
Last weekend alone, more than 600 people were rescued by the Italian coastguard in the Mediterranean Sea from a fishing boat in distress. A life-threatening operation in difficult weather conditions in the Maltese search and rescue zone south of Sicily. The illegal migrants were picked up by ships belonging to the Italian Navy and the EU border control agency Frontex and taken to various Italian ports.
State of emergency has already been declared
In order to provide better financial support to the affected regions, the Italian government declared a state of emergency some time ago. Rome feels let down by the other EU countries, and rightly so. In the first three months of this year alone, the number of migrants reaching Italy via the Mediterranean has increased by 300 percent compared to the previous year. A report from Frontex states that last year’s number of migrants (330,000) could be reached as early as this summer.
The regional president of Sicily, Renato Schifani, speaks of a “flood” by migrants. Against this background, EPP leader Manfred Weber, who hails from Bavaria, warns in the newspaper “Bild”: “The EU is sleepwalking into a new migration crisis, although the rapidly increasing migratory pressure is evident.”
Tunisia now more important transit country than Libya
Tunisia has since replaced Libya as the main transit point in North Africa. Weber therefore demands that Brussels negotiate a migration pact with Tunis similar to that with Turkey. The smuggler gangs have to put down their deadly work. Between January and March this year alone, 441 people on their way to the EU in unseaworthy boats drowned in the Mediterranean.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
