Illegal immigration is harmful to everyone, except human traffickers, the Italian prime minister said in his opening speech at the development and migration conference in Rome on Sunday, in which he called helping the countries of origin develop as a solution to prevent migrants from leaving.
Giorgia Meloni stated that she wants to start a so-called "Rome process" with the meeting, the aim of which is to stop mass illegal immigration to Europe.
He outlined a six-point development plan to support countries of origin and transit, as well as official and secret service cooperation to eradicate human trafficking organizations.
He emphasized that in order to stop the journey, action must be taken at the roots of migration. He noted that our age is particularly sensitive to ensuring the right to migrate, while forgetting that people should also be guaranteed the right to stay in their country.
Giorgia Meloni believed that the previous plans to solve migration issues failed because of the relationship between Europe and the Mediterranean region and other countries of origin, which was not based on dialogue or equality between the parties, but on competition and conflicting interests.
Mass illegal migration harms everyone, except human trafficking organizations, which enrich themselves at the expense of the weakest and most vulnerable, Meloni said, emphasizing that the human trafficking mafia confronts states because it threatens their security and democratic order.
Among the goals, Meloni put action against illegal immigration first, followed by the management of legal immigration, support for refugees, and cooperation to promote the development of primarily African regions. "The latter is the most important, since nothing else can be achieved without promoting development," he declared.
He urged operative cooperation between states, authorities and secret services as a means of stopping human trafficking. He emphasized that the cooperation of the prosecutor's offices can facilitate the liquidation of the financial network of human trafficking organizations, as well as making it more difficult to acquire boats used as "weapons".
He emphasized that the economies of Europe and Italy need immigrants, but those who the countries can accommodate should be allowed in, because "if we can't take care of them, it's not solidarity." He noted that immigrants employed as labor must be trained before departure.
With regard to those fleeing war, starvation, and terrorism, he stated that the right to asylum also needs to be clarified, because it cannot be considered automatic that they will be accepted anywhere in the world. He noted that emigration causes significant economic damage to countries of origin, which lose labor and generations.
Meloni announced that Rome is launching an initiative primarily for the development of the Central African region, which includes the construction of the local agriculture, energy sector, infrastructure network, education and training, strengthening of water management and healthcare. At the same time, he urged the establishment of a development fund that is managed by the countries that use it.
MTI
