Spain and Italy clash over migration policy in Lampedusa
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares accused the Italian government of failing to meet the migration challenge, saying many European countries did not rise to the occasion and that Italy had previously been "flooded with irregular migrants" with repeated crises on the island of Lampedusa that it could not handle effectively.
The Italian Interior Ministry countered, reporting that illegal migrant arrivals have dropped 55 % compared with last year and 82 % versus 2023, following policies introduced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration since January. Officials said 98 migrants are currently on Lampedusa and there is no emergency situation.
A letter signed by 22 EU leaders criticised Spain’s migration policy as lax and called for an urgent meeting of EU interior and justice ministers. Meloni has pushed for Spain’s exclusion from the Schengen zone, a step already applied to Italian ports and airports, while France’s interior minister Laurent Nuñez said France will not exclude Spain and will continue cooperation.
Entities: European Union · Frontex · Giorgia Meloni · José Manuel Albares · Lampedusa · Laurent Nunez
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A letter signed by 22 EU leaders criticised Spain’s migration policy as lax. (22 EU leaders)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for Spain’s expulsion from the Schengen zone and applied similar measures to Italian ports and airports. (Italian Prime Minister)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Italian Interior Ministry sources said illegal migrant arrivals fell 55 % compared with the previous year and 82 % compared with 2023, since January under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government. (Italian Interior Ministry)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said France will not exclude Spain and will continue cooperation. (French Interior Minister)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] An emergency meeting of EU interior and justice ministers was convened after the letter from EU leaders. (EU institutions)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Italian sources reported that 98 migrants are currently on Lampedusa and there is no emergency situation. (Italian Interior Ministry)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Albares claimed Italy had periods when it was flooded with irregular migrants and faced repeated crises on Lampedusa that it could not handle effectively. (Spanish foreign minister)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said many European countries did not meet the migration situation and that the Italian government was among those that fell short. (Spanish foreign minister)