The Interior Minister stated on TF1’s evening news on Tuesday that France was « ready to assist » Italian authorities in repatriating the majority of individuals who have arrived on the island of Lampedusa in recent days.
The Minister of the Interior was firm and clear: « France will not welcome migrants coming from Lampedusa, » he assured on the TF1 news program Tuesday evening. After returning from a visit to Italy, Gérald Darmanin was able to witness the critical situation on the island of Lampedusa, where approximately 8,500 migrants from Africa have arrived on nearly 200 boats.
« Il est important de faire une distinction entre les migrants et les réfugiés politiques, selon Gérald Darmanin. Il affirme que la France et les pays européens ont le devoir de les accueillir. Cependant, il souligne également que le gouvernement doit adopter une position ferme face à l’immigration irrégulière. »
Je suis prêt à aider les Italiens.
The minister justified: « Increasing the number of people we welcome will not solve the issue of overwhelming our integration capabilities… However, we have informed our Italian friends that we are ready to assist them in repatriating these individuals to countries with whom we have good diplomatic relations. »
The minister acknowledged that 60% of migrants who arrived in Lampedusa are French speakers « but have not sought asylum in Europe. »
