U.K. and Italy agree to finance the repatriation of migrants attempting to reach Europe

By lauraharris // 2023-12-29

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have agreed to finance the repatriation of migrants attempting to reach Europe who are currently in Tunisia. Migrants attempting perilous sea crossings to Europe often make initial landfall on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The agreement signifies a collaborative effort to address the growing discontent with the influx of migrants from various African countries – including Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Chad – converging in Tunisia to reach European shores. In a joint statement, Sunak emphasized the need for border control, asserting that illegal immigration poses a significant threat to the security of both the United Kingdom and Italy. He warned that migration could be exploited as a weapon by the enemies of both nations and stressed the importance of deterring illegal entry to prevent an overwhelming surge.

"We simply must have control of our borders. People must know that if they come to our countries illegally, they will not get to stay. If we do not tackle this problem, the numbers will only grow. It will overwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who actually need our help the most. Making that deterrent credible will mean doing things differently, breaking from consensus – and both [Meloni] and I are prepared to do that," the British leader said. (Related: British government may require illegal migrants to wear electronic tags as immigration detention centers run out of space.)

Meloni echoed Sunak's sentiments, emphasizing the necessity of controlling migration to safeguard countries and effectively provide assistance to those in need. Leaders in Europe have voiced similar concerns about the impact of mass migration on national identity and cultural values. These include Santiago Abascal of Spain's Vox Party and Hungarian President Viktor Orban. Recently elected officials such as the Netherlands' Geert Wilders and Slovakia's Robert Fico have also expressed their sentiment on the matter.

Meloni: Islam and Europe have a compatibility problem

The announcement of the plan to repatriate migrants followed the re-emergence of an old video of Meloni, the president of the Brothers of Italy party, criticizing the "Islamization" of Europe. The 2018 clip showed the now-Italian prime minister expressing her views on what she dubbed a "compatibility problem" between Islamic culture and the values of European civilization. "I believe there is a problem of compatibility between Islamic culture, or a certain interpretation of Islamic culture, and the rights and values of our civilization," Meloni is heard saying in the viral video. "It does not escape my mind that most of the Islamic cultural centers in Italy are financed by Saudi Arabia." Meloni also did not shy away from criticizing Riyadh's implementation of Sharia law, citing criminal offenses such as apostasy and homosexuality. "Sharia means [stoning] for adultery and the death penalty for apostasy and homosexuality. I believe that these should be raised, which does not mean generalizing on Islam. It means raising the problem that there is a process of Islamization in Europe that is very distant from the values of our civilization," she said. The resurfaced footage has garnered international attention and adds to the ongoing discourse surrounding mass migration. Visit Migrants.news for more stories about illegal immigrants. Watch Dutch citizen Frank Krischick warn people against visiting the Netherlands. This video is from the Frank Krischick channel on Brighteon.com.

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Meloni: Islam and Europe have a compatibility problem

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