14 European states join Italy-led meeting on migration ahead of EU Summit

ISTANBUL

Fourteen EU countries, including Germany for the first time, participated on Thursday in an informal meeting on migration policy spearheaded by Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands ahead of the European Council summit in Brussels.

The working breakfast, increasingly referred to in Brussels as the “migration hawks” group, focused on tighter return policies, the European Commission’s latest migration proposals, and the extension of temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, ANSA news agency reported.

"Alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, I hosted, on the sidelines of the European Council, a new informal meeting of EU member states most committed to innovative solutions in migration management, especially regarding returns," Meloni said on X.

She said the group discussed follow-ups to their May 22 open letter on international conventions and their capacity to address irregular migration challenges, and expressed satisfaction with progress made so far.

Meloni thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU executive for “concrete and operational work” on migration, adding that the group agreed to remain closely coordinated ahead of upcoming European summits.

Before departing for Brussels, she also told Italian lawmakers that "Italy has been, and is, at the forefront of this debate and has always been very demanding on the practical implementation of what has been decided."

A statement from the Italian prime minister’s office said the meeting aimed to discuss "innovative solutions" for managing migration flows and strengthening the EU’s legal framework on repatriations.

Alongside Italy, Denmark, and the Netherlands, participants included Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland and Sweden.

Von der Leyen outlined the Commission’s ongoing legislative efforts, with a focus on the proposed “Return Regulation,” and confirmed that the next summit of the Global Coalition Against Migrant Smuggling will be held on Dec. 10 in Brussels.

Schoof, hosting the meeting alongside Meloni and Frederiksen, said migration remains a top priority.

“We’re already pressing hard at EU level to reduce the influx of migrants and improve return policy,” Schoof said on X, calling for closer cooperation among member states and with third countries.

Hungary also joined the gathering, despite Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent rhetoric criticizing Brussels’ migration agenda and warning of “rebellion.”