Italy, France hold talks over migrant policy
Max Civili
Press TV, Rome
Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Rome on Wednesday. It was the first visit by a foreign leader to the Italian new government sworn in on September 5 and the first top-level meeting between Paris and Rome since France recalled its ambassador to Italy last February.
On that occasion the then deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio's move to meet members of France’s Yellow Vest movement had severely irritated the Elysee. Conte appears determined to bring Italy closer to Europe.
The talks between Conte and Macron focused primarily on the migrant policy. The French media have reported Macron intends to take a tougher stance on the so-called economic migrants.
Paris says that those who have the right to stay in Europe will be let in but those who are not granted asylum must be quickly returned to their countries of origin.
Talks between Conte and Macro also included Libya, which is strongly linked to migration. Earlier on Wednesday Conte met with Un-backed Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj reiterating Italy's support to Libya's Government of National Accord.
Meanwhile the number of refugee arrivals to the Sicilian Island of Lampedusa is again on the rise since the leader of the anti-immigrant League party and former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini pulled the plug on the Italy's previous government forty days ago. About 600 refugees have landed in Lampedusa in the last two weeks.
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