Abstract
In recent years, inflows of asylum seekers have become the main issue in the public discourse on immigration and borders have acquired a new relevance in politics. Southern Europe has often been seen as a point of entry into the inner part of the continent, and governments have been pressured to act as border guards of the EU. However, tragedies in the Mediterranean have obliged the Italian government in particular to conduct search and rescue operations, and the failure of refugees’ resettlement in Europe has led to increased reception in Italy. The contrast between humanitarian obligations and political resistance against refugees has been manifested in disputes against NGOs that save the lives of refugees and in local policies against the reception of asylum seekers. Borders are multiplying within the country.
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The ten points were as follows: (1) Reinforce the Joint Operations in the Mediterranean, namely, Triton and Poseidon, by increasing financial resources and the number of assets. Extend their operational areas, allowing them to intervene further, within the mandate of FRONTEX; (2) Conduct a systematic effort to capture and destroy vessels used by smugglers, building on operation Atalanta results; (3) Hold regular meetings among EUROPOL, FRONTEX, EASO, AND EUROJUST to work closely to gather information on smugglers modus operandi, trace their funds and provide mutual assistance on investigations; (4) Deploy EASO teams in Italy and Greece for the joint processing of asylum applications; (5) Hold Member States responsible for migrant fingerprinting; (6) Study options for an emergency relocation mechanism; (7) Study an EU-wide voluntary pilot project on resettlement; (8) Establish a new return programme managed by FRONTEX to rapidly return irregular migrants; (9) Engage with countries that neighbour Libya through joint efforts between the European External Action Service and the European Commission; and (10) Deploy Immigration Liaison Officers in third countries to gather intelligence on migratory flows http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4813_it.htm.
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From a methodological perspective, it can be argued that comparing the month of May with the month of November is inappropriate: journeys and efforts to reach European soil by sea are much more frequent when the weather is good. From a political point of view, it is even more interesting that the European Union chose to celebrate the results of Niger’s cooperation so quickly, with the aim of fostering similar behaviour by other African governments.
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Ambrosini, M. (2018). Becoming a Borderland: The “Refugee Crisis” in Italy and Beyond. In: Irregular Immigration in Southern Europe. Migration, Diasporas and Citizenship. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70518-7_4
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