Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday
hit back at the centre-left opposition for criticising the
agreement her government reached with Tirana to set up
Italian-run migrant centres on Albanian territory, saying the
interest the initiative has attracted across Europe shows its
worth.
An Italian Navy ship with the first group of migrants to be
processed under the system arrived in Albania on Wednesday.
Opposition parties and rights groups have criticised the scheme,
saying it externalises the migrant issue and is excessively
expensive.
"Curious to note how, while almost the whole of Europe discusses
our initiatives to curb irregular immigration and stop human
trafficking, some nations considering them as models, the
Italian Left only thinks about attacking them in an
inconsistent, gratuitous manner," Meloni said via X while at
the EU summit in Brussels.
"Defending borders and stopping human trafficking is not only
our duty, it is also a priority for Italy and for the whole of
Europe'.
Earlier on Thursday Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schlein
reiterated her criticism of the Italy-Albania Protocol in harsh
terms in Brussels.
(see related)
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