Italy not isolated on EU about irregular migration: Premier

ATHENS

The Italian premier said her country is not isolated within the EU concerning the issue of irregular migration, media reports said Thursday.

"I am satisfied. We are far from being isolated," Giorgia Meloni told reporters after arriving for the third meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Granada in southern Spain, according to Italian state-run ANSA news agency.

In reference to a migration deal that was reached Wednesday, which was hailed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani as a success for Italy, she said: “The perception is evolving toward the protection of legal migration flows.”

Meloni said Italy wants a “non-paternalistic approach" to Africa and encouraged "a Europe that believes in it as a whole."

As to Tunisian President Kais Saied’s rejection of €127 million ($133.6 million) of EU aid on grounds that Tunisia "does not accept anything resembling charity or favour,” she said she understood Saied.

"I believe that Saied, with whom I have a good relationship, spoke first of all to his public opinion, I understand what he said,” she said.

Meloni also said she was due to have a bilateral meeting Friday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"It will be an opportunity to discuss how to make progress, particularly on the external dimension of migration management through the strengthening of cooperation with countries of origin and transit,” she said

The draft regulation, approved by the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council in early June, requires EU members to accept an initial quota of 30,000 migrants from countries facing significant migration pressure from the Middle East and Africa or pay approximately €22,000 ($23,014) per non-admitted migrant.

Amid increasing migration affecting certain EU member states, including Poland, some countries have reintroduced border checks to address the issue.