Lampedusa: Ursula von der Leyen and Giorgia Meloni visit island after migrant boat fears

[Social Media]

 

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has visited a migrant reception centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa, after the country's prime minister called for EU help with small boat arrivals.

More than 8,000 migrants have arrived on the island over the past three days.

PM Giorgia Meloni says Italy is being placed under "unsustainable pressure".

Ms von der Leyen acknowledged on Sunday that the issue was "a European challenge and needs a European answer".

At a news conference with Ms Meloni, she praised the people of Lampedusa for the support they had given to migrants, who she said had arrived on the island "simply because of its location".

She pledged to increase support to transfer migrants out of Lampedusa as well as stepping up efforts against people smugglers who enabled dangerous and illegal journeys.

 

The problem could not be solved by Italy alone, Ms Meloni said. It was currently affecting "the borders, the frontier countries" but would soon involve all of the EU states, she said.

"The future of Europe depends on its ability to tackle epoch-making challenges of our time and the challenge of illegal immigration is for sure one of them."

On Saturday the body of a newborn baby was recovered from a migrant boat.

 

FULL STORY

[retarius]

Ursula and Moroni perfect together 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Naval patrols and blockade of Med.

Detention then deportation for all migrants entering legally without asylum permission.

Biometric database of all illegal migrants including DNA, facial recognition and fingerprints.

No possibility of visa or residence in any EU country for any illegal immigrant arriving or found staying illegally. 

Stop handouts for illegal economic migrants.

Temporarily suspend ALL asylum applications until situation is normalised.

 

Easy to stop this if there's the will.

[sirineou]

Wait until displacement from  global warming starts coming in play. 

Things are about to get interestingerer

 

[jak2002003]

If a backward place like Thailand won't allow illegal immigrants in, how can Europe and the UK not stop them? 

 

Genuine asylum seekers should be allowed, but this huge influx of illegals needs to stop. 

 

It's got crazy now, and will only get worse.  Countries can not cope with the strain on resources all these new people bring. 

 

How about arresting all that come. Keep them in huge detention centers with the same conditions of a Thai prosion... and use them as forced free workers?  Don't let them out ever unless they can raise enough money for trip back to their country. ....that might deter further ones arriving. 

 

Honestly, the way it's going now, Europe may as well just do away with immigration and let anyone in.. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by jak2002003

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/19/2023 at 6:24 PM, jak2002003 said:

Genuine asylum seekers should be allowed, but this huge influx of illegals needs to stop. 

I've seen interviews with them on Al Jazeera where they openly admit they are trying to enter the EU to have a better life.

Wonder where they got the idea that they are entitled to anything if arriving on a leaky boat?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 9/19/2023 at 6:24 PM, jak2002003 said:

Honestly, the way it's going now, Europe may as well just do away with immigration and let anyone in.. 

Perhaps that is the plan???????

[RayC]

24 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps that is the plan???????

A bit stupid spending all this time, money and effort trying to prevent illegal migration if that is the case.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, RayC said:

A bit stupid spending all this time, money and effort trying to prevent illegal migration if that is the case.

I don't see much prevention going on. It's usually boats picking them up and giving them a free ride to the promised land.

[jak2002003]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps that is the plan???????

I hope so...then I can go and live easy in France or Spain full time...like I wanted to do before brekit put pay to my plans. 

[RayC]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't see much prevention going on. It's usually boats picking them up and giving them a free ride to the promised land.

The suggestion that nothing is being done to prevent illegal migration is nonsense. 

 

Whether the measures are effective and the money is being as well-spent as it might be are different questions.

 

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/irregular-migration-and-return_en

 

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/07/04/money-spent-by-eu-on-migration-policy-becoming-complex-to-track-expert

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, RayC said:

The suggestion that nothing is being done to prevent illegal migration is nonsense. 

 

Whether the measures are effective and the money is being as well-spent as it might be are different questions.

 

https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/irregular-migration-and-return_en

 

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2023/07/04/money-spent-by-eu-on-migration-policy-becoming-complex-to-track-expert

I'll accept that a lot of lip service is being given, but the reality seems different.

If they want to stop the boats they could send patrol boats to prevent them entering EU waters, but instead they pick up the boat people and transport them to the EU, rather than returning them from whence they came.

 

I'm really disappointed with the Italian PM as she seems to have bottled on her pre election promises.

[thaibeachlovers]

17 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

I hope so...then I can go and live easy in France or Spain full time...like I wanted to do before brekit put pay to my plans. 

Just arrive on a leaky boat and they'll see you right.

[JonnyF]

What a mess. I see Poland is very unhappy about the relocation scheme. 

 

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/poland-says-europe-will-become-lampedusa-slams-eu-relocation-scheme/

 

It just goes from bad to worse for the EU. This crisis fresh after the news of the "powerhouse" of the EU, Germany's economy tanking.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/23/economy/germany-economy-recession-pmi/index.html

 

Brexit is looking better by the day. 

[jak2002003]

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just arrive on a leaky boat and they'll see you right.

I'm the wrong religion and race...so they discriminate against me. ????

[RayC]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

What a mess. I see Poland is very unhappy about the relocation scheme. 

 

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/poland-says-europe-will-become-lampedusa-slams-eu-relocation-scheme/

Yes, the migrant issue is difficult and yes, 27 individual EU member states have different ideas of how it should be managed. Why should that be a surprise?

 

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

It just goes from bad to worse for the EU. This crisis fresh after the news of the "powerhouse" of the EU, Germany's economy tanking.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/23/economy/germany-economy-recession-pmi/index.html

 

Brexit is looking better by the day. 

How would Germany leaving the EU solve its' current economic problems? 

https://www.euronews.com/2023/05/26/why-has-germany-gone-into-recession#:~:text=The country's trading partners imported,to the DIHK economic institute.

 

How has leaving the EU benefitted the UK economically?

[youreavinalaff]

On 9/21/2023 at 8:52 AM, jak2002003 said:

I hope so...then I can go and live easy in France or Spain full time...like I wanted to do before brekit put pay to my plans. 

There is nothing stopping you, if you meet the visa requirements.

 

Much the same as living in Thailand.

[bendejo]

On 9/18/2023 at 11:24 PM, jak2002003 said:

If a backward place like Thailand won't allow illegal immigrants in, how can Europe and the UK not stop them? 

I haven't been there, but as I understand Lampedusa is still 100 behind in some respects.  Met an English woman who told me that when she was there the local women kept asking where her husband is (she was travelling alone and was not married), as unaccompanied women are considered to be 'looking for business.' 

You might recall in the first "The Godfather" movie the scene where the Pacino character is walking with his girlfriend (in Sicilian countryside) under the eyes of a bunch of women following close behind -- this is true, or at least was in the previous century. 

Spent part of my formative years in an Italian community in the US, and being sent to live with the relatives in the old country was common for young ladies who were deemed to be getting too friendly with the boys, or accidentally became pregnant.

 

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

There is nothing stopping you, if you meet the visa requirements.

 

Much the same as living in Thailand.

Yes. The bleeding visa requirements are stopping me. 

 

Before, it was totally easy.  I don't want to be going to immigration, filling in forms, investing large sums of cash, be forced to live in a certain place or buy a property at a certain value. 

 

I could have simply arrived there, got any job, lived and travelled anywhere in EU, no visa, no immigration, no faffing about, and I could stay as long as I wanted, and come and go as I pleased. 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by jak2002003

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Yes. The bleeding visa requirements are stopping me. 

 

Before, it was totally easy.  I don't want to be going to immigration, filling in forms, investing large sums of cash, be forced to live in a certain place or buy a property at a certain value. 

 

I could have simply arrived there, got any job, lived and travelled anywhere in EU, no visa, no immigration, no faffing about, and I could stay as long as I wanted, and come and go as I pleased. 

 

 

Life is just so unfair, isn't it.

 

I used to be able to go to LOS visa free for 90 days at a time, and renew the 90 days by indefinite border crossings, but that all stopped some years ago.

Now, to stay in LOS I have to be going to immigration, filling in forms, investing large sums of cash.