Without strict rules at European level and without a ruthless war on human traffickers, tragedies like that of Cutro they will happen again. Rishi Sunak, the British Prime Minister, is also convinced of this, as he met the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron yesterday in Paris, against the backdrop of the 36th Franco-British bilateral summit. In an interview on Figarohas indirectly agreed with the Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, on the need to fight smugglers and the criminal system that revolves around them to avoid further deaths in the Mediterranean.
The one on clandestine immigration, «is a shared challengeSunak said, before adding: “The UK is not alone in this situation. In Europe, I believe the number of illegal migrants increased by 60% last year. And we recently witnessed another tragedy off the coast of Italy.” To avoid other Cutros, “it is crucial to break the circle of criminal gangs”, underlined the British prime minister. And again: «It is the reality: criminal organizations facilitate travel. We all want to offer shelter and protection to the most vulnerable people on the planet. But we cannot ensure this if we have to manage the illegal arrival of tens of thousands of people, who are not in danger. They put pressure on our system and our resources. This is what is currently happening. By solving this problem, we will be able to help the most vulnerable.” Sunak’s position on illegal immigration coincides with that of the Italian prime minister.
Yesterday the British premier announced the creation of a detention center for illegal migrants in northern France, “a new command center that will bring together our teams for the first time and five hundred new agents who will patrol the French beaches”. London will also increase its financial contribution to Paris (500 million) over the next three years, to fight against the flows of irregular migrants.
