2023-04-17 07:13:00
Similar to the Turkey agreement, the gangs of people smugglers must be stopped together, says the chairman of the European People’s Party.
The chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber (CSU), has called for negotiations between the EU and Tunisia on a second refugee pact in view of the further increase in the number of refugees. As the “Bild” reported on Monday in advance, the EPP wants to request a debate on this topic in the European Parliament at the beginning of the week.
“The EU is sleepwalking into a new migration crisis, although the rapidly increasing migration pressure is obvious. In the first three months of this year, more than 300 percent more migrants arrived in Italy than last year,” Weber told the newspaper, stressing that Italy was allowed don’t leave alone. “Italy has already declared a state of emergency – and the other EU countries are looking the other way,” said the EPP boss.
Negotiations with Tunisia
The background to the debate is a report by the EU border protection agency Frontex to the EU Commission. Accordingly, the increase in the number of refugees could mean that the previous year’s number of migrants (330,000) will be reached this summer. According to the report, Tunisia has now replaced Libya as the main transfer country, with 57 percent of migrants arriving in Italy boarding the smuggler boats there. That’s why European politician Weber wants the EU to negotiate a migration pact with Tunisia.
Similar to the Turkey agreement, the gangs of people smugglers must be stopped together, Weber said in an interview with “Bild”. According to Weber, border protection and controls as well as the rejection of illegal migrants must finally work.
(APA/Reuters)
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