Italian’s PM’s words came after more than 10,000 migrants arrived on tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa in a week
Giorgia Meloni said the future of Europe depends on how the bloc handles a growing migration crisis, as she demanded EU leaders create a naval blockade in the Mediterranean to stop the flow of small boats.
The Italian prime minister’s remarks were directed at Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, who was visiting the tiny island of Lampedusa, off North Africa. More than 10,000 migrants arrived there last week alone, more than the entire 6,000-strong population of the island.
“What is at stake is the future of Europe because the future of Europe depends on its capacity to deal with the huge challenges of our time,” Ms Meloni said, speaking to reporters with Mrs von der Leyen.
She said that the only “serious” way to address the issue is to stop the migrants from departing from North African countries, especially Tunisia.