PARIS — Three years ago, Italian opposition leader Giorgia Meloni was delighted with the decision to close the European Union's naval mission Sofia after rescuing 3,45 migrants in the Mediterranean.
Now that she is prime minister, Meloni appears to have changed her approach, calling on the EU ship to focus on preventing the departure of North African migrants rather than saving lives at sea.
The change coincides with the backing of its campaign promises made by its right-wing government to prevent arrivals from North Africa after some 18,6 migrants arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has a population of about <>,<>.
A boat carrying migrants approaches the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, where 18,<> migrants have arrived (Reuters)
What is the truth about the naval blockade?
In light of the unfolding situation on the Italian island, Peter Stano, spokesman for the European Commission's foreign affairs and security policy, said any report claiming the Commission was considering the possibility of a "naval blockade" in the Mediterranean "is completely false".
Stano added, in his interview with Al Jazeera Net, "We are not aware of any reports of such a naval blockade, and what the media in the European Union mentions in their reports is the possibility of sending a naval mission to prevent smuggling and human trafficking."
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's action plan includes 10 points, including: managing the large number of migrants to ensure arrivals are registered, fingerprinted, debriefed and referred to the relevant authorities, according to Andrew McKinley, communications officer for the European Union's asylum agency (EUAA).
McKinley told Al Jazeera Net that the asylum agency is working to strengthen support to Italy in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) by moving people out of Lampedusa and intensifying returns through coordination with the countries of origin of the new arrivals.
The ten points proposed by von der Leyen also focus on strengthening maritime and air border control, as well as accelerating the provision of equipment and increasing training for the Tunisian coast guard and other law enforcement authorities.
Jean-Claude Samois, head of Amnesty International, noted that the only reception centre in Lampedusa can only accommodate 400 people, describing the announcement of the naval blockade as "scandalous". "Asylum is the last resort of persecuted people. Today, we must fulfil our obligations and provide protection for the application of the 1951 Geneva Convention."
Europe's moral bankruptcy
After the European Commission announced on Friday that it had paid Tunisia $135 million as part of an agreement to combat irregular migration from Africa to Europe, the move was harshly criticized because it was reportedly aimed at avoiding shared responsibility.
Member states appear to have agreed on one point: lowering protection standards for people arriving on European soil, by continuing to detain migrants in closed centres near borders for long periods and the possibility of returning asylum seekers to "safe" countries, according to their criteria.
The spokesman for the European Commission for Foreign Affairs, Peter Stano, told Al Jazeera Net that the President of the Commission expressed her support for exploring options to expand the current naval mission or establish new ones, pointing out that the establishment of any new missions will need the unanimous approval of all 27 member states.
The head of Paris-based Amnesty International says European countries always talk about migration flows, but pay no attention to the tens of thousands who have died at sea or to the suffering of migrants in their country of origin.
How can we imagine Europe, known for its support for human rights and democracy, making agreements with countries like Libya or Tunisia to deport people to the centres where they live, where they are sexually abused, beaten, tortured, forced labor and even forced prostitution?
French and Italian police officers stand guard during the visit of the French Minister of the Interior to the border post of Monton (French)
Resolute French refusal
The day after his meeting in Rome with his Italian counterpart, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stressed that "France will not welcome migrants" coming from the Italian island, which has been subjected for several days to a large influx of migrants, reviewing the "firm position" of his government in this regard.
But Darmanan insists that contrary to the reality of the law and the figures, the majority of migrants who arrived in Italy last week cannot seek asylum and that "60% of people arriving in Lampedusa speak French, and there are citizens of Ivory Coast and Senegal who do not have to seek asylum in Europe."
"France cannot judge whether a person deserves to apply for asylum or not, because protection is granted after in-depth individual interviews to examine each person's case by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless (OFPRA) and the National Asylum Court (CNDA)," the head of Amnesty International denounced.
Many migrants remain unidentified, with the Italian Interior Ministry announcing that only 30 per cent of those who arrived between 11 and 20 September had been assigned citizenship, despite the French minister's conflicting statements.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin during his visit to the border post of Monton (French)
Tight border control
In a telephone conversation with the French border police, said a security element – did not want to be named – to Al Jazeera Net, that the situation is under control so far and there are no migrants coming from Italy, stressing the presence of additional security reinforcements at the border.
Darmanan announced that he had decided to strengthen control on the Franco-Italian border by increasing the number of police and gendarmerie personnel assigned to this task from 500 to 700.
Emmanuel Joubert, director of border police in the Alpes-Maritimes region, said 200 to 300 migrants have been arrested every day, equivalent to 32,20 since January, a <> percent increase from last year during the same period.
Joubert said at a news conference Friday that police were using thermal cameras and drones to give maximum secrecy to border controls and ensure the job ran perfectly.
The events come amid an ongoing split between French senators on the left and right on what migration policy they should address by examining a new immigration bill this fall, while agreeing on the need to rely on a comprehensive European strategy.