Italy Implements Stricter Measures to Combat Migrant Influx
Italy has approved new measures to crack down on migration, including extending the detention period for migrants who don't qualify for asylum to 18 months and increasing the number of detention centers. Premier Giorgia Meloni has called for a naval blockade off North Africa to prevent human traffickers from launching smuggling boats. The European Commission has expressed support for exploring this possibility. The influx of migrants is challenging unity within the EU, with member states objecting to the way the EU-Tunisia deal was pushed through. France has shifted right on migration and security issues and is not prepared to take in migrants arriving in Lampedusa.