Migrants, “Europe will be alongside Italy in the summer”

“We are already talking with the Libyan authorities and with Abdel Hamid Dbeibah’s interim government there are positive feedback and opportunities, I am ready to commit myself to explore the possibility of closing a new agreement with Libya without waiting for the December elections”. This was stated in an interview with ‘La Repubblica’ by Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs. “I am contacting the governments of the Union to set up a voluntary and provisional redistribution system to help Italy face the summer”, he stresses again. “It is essential that Italy – he stresses – receives European solidarity. We have learned that voluntary redistribution is not enough and therefore the approval of the reform of migration policies with compulsory relocations is essential”. “I am in contact with governments for organize a network of voluntary aid, of voluntary redistribution that can help Italy in the summer months until we approve the EU reform “, explains the EU Commissioner. “I am probing how willing the partners are to commit themselves. I think Italy will receive some help with redistribution, but at the moment I cannot say more. I do not know yet if we will proceed with a second declaration like that of Malta or if we will use a different mechanism. Meanwhile we are also working to block departures “, Johansson explains. Today, he adds, “I will be with Minister Lamorgese in Tunisia for a global agreement that on the one hand will allow the country to recover from the severe economic crisis caused by Covid, and on the other hand to provide it with the resources to fight human traffickers”.