The process launched on Sunday in the Italian capital around an international round table which brought together representatives of over 20 states at the Farnesina headquarters, including African countries and in particular of the Sahel, the Gulf, the African Union and the European Union, together with representatives of the Italian government under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, was called the “Process of Rome”. Management of the migratory phenomenon and development were the keywords of this conference, organized by Palazzo Chigi, which accepted the invitation launched in recent months by the Tunisian president Kais Saied to gather to address the thorny issue of irregular migration and ways to counter it.
“To face the great challenges it is necessary to work together” Giorgia Meloni said in her official speech, launching a “unique initiative of its kind” and a process in the initial phase, which must be open to other contributions. The speeches of the first session of the proceedings, open to the press via streaming link, were given by the Tunisian president Kais Saied, Mauritanian Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, by the president of the presidential council of Libya Mohamed Al Manfi, by the interim prime minister of Libya, Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, and by the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen.
“Today we are inaugurating a dialogue between equals based on mutual respect”, because the relationship between the EU and the enlarged Mediterranean “cannot be a competitive or even conflictual relationship”, said the Prime Minister. Meloni spoke of converging interests, of common opportunities, to be explored on the basis of a frank and honest relationship. Referring to Europe or the West in general, Meloni admitted that in the past he had “the impression that the issue of illegal migration was a theme that contrasted the countries of departure and transit and the countries of arrival”.
“Mass illegal immigration harms everyone, no one benefits from it except criminal organizations and who then use their force against the States”, he then underlined, touching on the theme then taken up by all the official speakers, namely that of the fight against trafficking networks. “We must take care of our states but also of the fate of the people”, he then specified, providing precise points of discussion: fight against illegal immigration, management of illegal flows, support for refugees and refugees, strengthen collaboration between judicial and police services, also hoping for a coordination of our intelligence networks to hit the financial networks. The smuggler is the last ring”, underlined the Premier.
Meloni insisted on another fundamental point: “wide-ranging cooperation for development in Africa and in the countries of origin, addressing the issue at its root. In an era in which attention is paid to the right to migrate, we do not pay enough attention to the right not to have to emigrate”, observed Giorgia Meloni.
The approach presented by the leader of the Brothers of Italy is that of a “non-predatory, multidimensional, non-paternalistic partnership, in which responsibilities are shared, mutual trust and the protection of legality”. An approach that could “offer new opportunities for legal immigration, on the basis of management based on cooperation between us”, because Meloni recalled, Europe needs immigration”. [Da Redazione InfoAfrica]
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