‘There will be even more of them,’ answered Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki when asked about European migration policy, adding that ‘you have to give them a fishing rod, not a fish’. ‘Do not give them any ‘welfare’ in Europe, but offer them a normal life’, he added.
Prime Minister Morawiecki stressed that due to the increasing number of migrants in Europe, “the only salvation is effective border protection”.
Lampedusa, a small island located between Italy’s Sicily and Tunisia, is struggling with another wave of the migrant crisis. Last week, more than 11,000 illegal immigrants from Africa arrived on the island. Since the beginning of this year, more than 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy.
According to Prime Minister Morawiecki, “the maritime border has always been the most secure border in history because it is the most difficult to cross. The sea was a very good barrier against the invasion of the enemy”, he stated and added that „in this case, however, we are dealing with Moscow-stimulated, institutionalised immigration and the attack of people on our continent”.
The head of the Polish government also highlighted that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is handling the current crisis better than a year ago.
‘I am in frequent contact with the Prime Minister. She agreed with Poland’s position that problems are best dealt with at their source’, said Mateusz Morawiecki. ‘It needs to be addressed to prevent uncontrolled migration through coast guard vessels that will guard the territorial waters so that foreign boats cannot enter the territory, which is how it has been protected for hundreds of years’, he stressed.
The Italian government has taken radical action in recent days. The package of measures on migrants announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been adopted. She announced an increase in the number of centres where illegal immigrants will be detained and the detention period for those eligible to be sent back to their countries of origin has been extended to 18 months.
Adrian Andrzejewski