Author: News Editor

Editorial Management . Corporate Communications . Media Resource Strategy . Product Positioning . Partnership Development . Digital Marketing . oludare.richards@gmail.com

India tells Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats over Sikh murder rift: Report

News Editor

India has told Canada that it must repatriate 41 diplomats by October 10, according to The Financial Times newspaper.

Ties between India and Canada have become strained over Canadian suspicion that Indian government agents had a role in the June murder in British Columbia of a Sikh separatist leader and Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who India had labelled a “terrorist” because of his advocacy for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state.

India has dismissed the murder allegation as absurd.

The Financial Times, quoting people familiar with the Indian demand, reported on Tuesday that India had threatened to revoke the diplomatic immunity of those diplomats told to leave if they remained after October 10.

Canada has 62 diplomats in India and India had said that the total should be reduced by 41, the newspaper said.

The Indian and Canadian foreign ministries did not immediately react to the report.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said earlier there was a “climate of violence” and an “atmosphere of intimidation” against Indian diplomats in Canada, where the presence of Sikh separatist groups has frustrated New Delhi.

Canada is home to about 770,000 Sikhs, the highest population outside the northern Indian state of Punjab, and the Indian government has for decades expressed its displeasure with some community members’ outspoken support for Khalistan.

There are 15 Sikh members in Canada’s House of Commons, more than 4 percent of the seats, while comprising only about 2 percent of the Canadian population.

A rebellion seeking a “Sikh homeland” of Khalistan killed tens of thousands in the 1980s and 1990s and was crushed by India. It has almost no support in Punjab today.

In 2020, India accused Nijjar of making “hateful speeches” and “seditionary and insurrectionary imputations” and designated him as being “involved in terrorism”.

 

Culled from Aljazeera

Finding Affordable Housing In London, Students Lament

News Editor

When Nazmush Shahadat arrived in London from Bangladesh he had nowhere to stay.

He had been accepted on to a course to study law, but found university accommodation too expensive and he couldn’t find a house to live in.

Mr Shahadat said things “turned dark really soon”, and he ended up sharing a two-bedroom flat with 20 other men.

“I never expected to live in a place like that – I still have my scars,” he said.

With multiple bunk beds crammed into a room and shift workers coming and going, he said it was impossible to sleep and he was often bitten by bed bugs.

“The first couple of months, I couldn’t video call my family because I didn’t want them to see how I am living – that’s sad,” he explained.

Mr Shahadat now lives in a shared house and has his own room, but said trying to find an affordable home in London was extremely difficult because foreign students don’t have the references and pay slips needed to secure a home.

Many have also used their family’s savings to cover fees, he said, with his amounting to £39,000 for a three-year course.

“I’ve spent my family’s savings to come here to fulfil my and my parents’ dreams,” he said.

In recent years the government has worked to increase the number of international students at UK higher education institutions.

In the 2015/16 academic year there were 113,015 international students in the capital. That increased by 59% to 179,425 for 2020/21, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Now, some London institutions have more foreign students than UK ones.

Rashavh Kaushik (right) says he will be living in a flat with his two friends (left) and another person, having paid £16,000 upfront

Rashavh Kaushik from India will also be studying law this year and has found a home with friends, but he’s sharing a bedroom with another student.

For that arrangement, they’ve had to pay £16,000 upfront and have had to get a guarantor to secure a place. “It’s costly for us,” he said.

Nehaal Bajwa, from the National Union of Students (NUS), said: “Universities are trying to recruit more and more international students partly because they pay a lot higher fees, but it means that some universities are expanding at a rate much higher than the local housing stock can deal with.”

The NUS has been calling for rent controls for students, and said international students were particularly vulnerable to financial strain.

“You’re kind of open to exploitation because you don’t know your rights,” Ms Bajwa said.

  • Students worried cost of living will affect uni
  • Cost-of-renting: Young, struggling and short of cash

She added that foreign students were more likely to accept a home without a contract, pay large sums of money up front, or be forced to accept unsuitable conditions.

“You might be more tempted, because otherwise where are you going to live? So homelessness is a real threat,” she said.

Film student Giulia Tortoricei, 19, from Italy, now lives with her friends Maisie and Lidia in a shared house, but found looking for accommodation in London last year tough.

“It’s way too expensive – last year I came here without having a place. A friend of mine was giving me part of his room for a whole month before I found a place so that was really stressful,” she said.

Giulia Tortoricei (right) had to stay with a friend before she was able to find a place to live

It’s not just international students struggling either – students based in the UK told the BBC about their difficulties finding a home, and of facing long commutes to get to campus.

Analysis from Savills found in London there were currently 3.8 students chasing every bed in purpose-built student accommodation, compared to an average of 2.9 across the UK as a whole.

Student charity Unipol believes there is a need for more “affordable” accommodation, especially for more vulnerable students who may opt for dedicated university accommodation if they don’t know an area well or come from overseas.

Martin Blakey, the charity’s CEO, said such accommodation was about 35% more expensive than renting a room in a house, so some students ended up spending much of their money on temporary accommodation thinking they would save money when they find a house-share.

However, many run out of funds before they can secure somewhere and he said by this point “quite significant numbers of international students were using food banks” and may have to return home.

“It it is really rough at the pointy end of this and people’s dreams quietly fall apart,” Mr Blakey said.

In a statement, a Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “Attracting the brightest students internationally is good for our universities and delivers growth at home.

“That’s why we encourage universities and private accommodation providers to consider their accommodation needs and support them accordingly.”

Universities UK said in a statement: “The current pressures on the housing market in the UK are being felt across society – including by students, and universities are working to ease this wherever possible.

“Universities are experienced in supporting students, and while we strongly recommended that students organise housing before travelling to the UK, any student facing difficulty should contact their university accommodation team as soon as possible.”

 

Culled from BBC

Mediterranean ‘becoming a cemetery for children and their futures’

News Editor

More than 11,600 unaccompanied children have crossed the Central Mediterranean to Italy so far this year the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday, an increase of 60 per cent compared with last year.

More than 11,600 unaccompanied children have crossed the Central Mediterranean to Italy so far this year the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday, an increase of 60 per cent compared with last year.

The number of arrivals peaked this month on the small island of Lampedusa off Italy’s southern coast, with 4,800 people arriving on a single day, the agency noted.

According to news reports, a migrant reception centre there was overwhelmed earlier this month, as aid and medical workers coped with transferring thousands of people to the mainland.

Many of the flimsy and crowded boats sink or capsize in the Mediterranean, leading to over 2,000 deaths so far this year, according to UN migration agency IOM.

The real figure is likely considerably higher due to boats that sink that without trace.

 

“Children who undertake these harrowing journeys alone are often placed in overcrowded inflatable dinghies or shoddy wooden fishing boats unsuitable for poor weather conditions. Some are placed in the hold of the ship, some on iron barges – particularly dangerous for navigation,” UNICEF stated.

According to the UN humanitarian agency, “the lack of regionwide, coordinated and adequate search and rescue capacities and cooperation at sea on disembarkation compound the dangers children face when crossing.”

War, conflict, violence and poverty are among the main factors, prompting children to flee their home countries alone.

UNICEF highlighted that “Evidence shows that unaccompanied children are at risk of exploitation and abuse on every step of their journeys, with girls and children from sub-Saharan Africa the most likely to suffer abuse.”

Nearly 1,000 dead on central route

It said between June and August this year, at least 990 people including children died or disappeared as they attempted to cross the Central Mediterranean, triple the number compared to the same period last summer when at least 334 people lost their lives.

Children who survive their journeys are first held in centres known as hotspots before being transferred to reception facilities that are often closed and limit movement.

More than 21,700 unaccompanied children across Italy are currently in such facilities, up from 17,700 a year ago.

‘Broken migration system’

“The Mediterranean Sea has become a cemetery for children and their futures. The devastating toll on children seeking asylum and safety in Europe is a result of policy choices and a broken migration system,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director, and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe.

“The adoption of a Europe-wide response to supporting children and families seeking asylum and safety and a sustained increase in international aid to support countries faced by multiple crises are desperately needed to prevent more children suffering.”

In line with international law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF is calling on governments to provide safer and legal pathways for seeking asylum and ensure children are not held in closed facilities.

Boost protection

It’s also recommending strengthened national child protection systems and more coordination of search and rescue operations that lead to safe disembarkation.

The agency said the ongoing debate between the European Parliament and EU Member States on a new pact on migration and asylum presents an immediate opportunity to affirm and uphold key child protection principles.

 

Kenya’s Approach To Tackling Fake News: A UN Resident Coordinator blog

News Editor

Facing down a tidal wave of disinformation ahead of Kenya’s presidential elections in 2022, the Government and the UN collaborated on a national anti-hate speech plan and an innovative consortium of influencers to calm the waters before voters cast their ballots.

Stephen Jackson, the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, reflects on the 2022 elections, which saw an effective partnership with the Government and private-sector rise to the occasion to take down fake news.

“No one is born with hate. Hate is taught, and then hate spreads.

Over recent years, social media and other digital platforms, amplified by algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), have enabled vitriolic messages with hatred and disinformation to ‘spread like wildfire’, as the Secretary-General has stated.

United Nations Stephen Jackson of Ireland is the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya.

In many countries around the world – rich and less well off – hate speech and disinformation threaten social cohesion, sowing chaos and confusion, polarizing communities, igniting online and sometimes offline violence, and undermining faith in democracy itself.

Kenya has been no exception.

‘Avalanches of hateful messaging’

Hate speech and disinformation are at their most destabilizing during electoral periods, when avalanches of hateful messaging and divergent, destabilizing narratives confuse voters to distinguish between fact and falsehood, and between ‘truth’ and conspiracy theories.

In Kenya, according to a Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism survey, 75 per cent of respondents said that they found it hard to distinguish between what is real and what is fake when it comes to news on the internet.

Recognizing the scale of this threat ahead of the 2022 presidential elections, the Government of Kenya and our team at the Resident Coordinator’s office jumped into action.

‘Milestone’ anti-hate speech action plan

In June 2022, Kenya launched a national action plan against hate speech, as part of its long-term Roadmap for Peaceful Elections, which was designed to curb and prevent disinformation and inflammation via social media and to inform peaceful counter-messaging.

Having helped Kenya to develop this milestone plan, the United Nations was equally determined to help find innovative ways to support its implementation.

The first step was ensuring that the competent Kenyan institutions gained the ability to track and monitor hate speech in real-time and understand the environment in which they proliferate.

© UN Women/Kennedy Okoth Two women seeking to become part of the political process in Kenya exchange ideas.

Countering hate speech in real-time

Given how complex and fast-moving social media is, this task couldn’t be done alone. It needed pulling together a multistakeholder partnership, with buy-in from different partners: government, civil society, local influencers, and the media platforms themselves.

Thanks to the convening capacities that come with the role of UN Resident Coordinator and the invaluable work of our advisors on peace and development and human rights, we were able to do just that.

We helped the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Media Council of Kenya to create an innovative, high-tech consortium with private sector partners to track and counter hate speech in real-time.

© UNDP Kenya A woman casts her vote in Kenya’s election

State-of-the-art online early warning system

With support from the UN Peacebuilding Fund and the German Embassy in Kenya, our Kenya-wide Mapema (early in Swahili) Consortium partnered with AI startups (Code for Africa), youth media platforms (Shujaaz) and online influencer organizations (Aifluence) to build a state-of-the-art online early warning system.

This system had the capacity to not only detect the sources and spreaders of misinformation, tracking in real time in English, Swahili, and Sheng, the street language of Kenyan youth.

Combined with existing systems to monitor other traditional media channels, we were able to help the competent Kenyan institutions paint a more vivid picture of the networks and influencers which were amplifying the disinformation.

Keeping up the good fight

But, we can’t stop here. Beyond the election, it’s incumbent on all international partners like the UN to help Kenya further deepen her remarkable democracy. A big part of doing that is the ongoing fight to strengthen accountability mechanisms and bolster the Government’s long-term capacity to stop the spread and mitigate the pernicious impact of hate speech on Kenya’s public life.”

What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for control of US Senate, looming government shutdown

News Editor

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death creates a vacancy in the Senate at a time when her Democrats hold the slightest majority in the chamber.

Feinstein, a centrist Democrat who had represented California since 1992, had medical struggles in recent months that already had prompted questions about whether she’d resign and who might replace her.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to pick a replacement soon. An election to pick the state’s next senator serving a full six-year term is scheduled for next year.

Here’s a look at what Feinstein’s death means for the Senate at a critical time on Capitol Hill:

HOW DOES IT IMPACT CONTROL OF THE SENATE?

Before Feinstein’s death, Democrats held a 51-49 majority. They had control of 48 seats, plus three independent members who generally vote with Democrats. Until her seat is filled, Democrats will still count on a narrow majority as they try to advance their priorities. There are no major votes looming in the Senate that are expected to fall totally along party lines.

HOW WILL FEINSTEIN’S SENATE SEAT BE FILLED?

Newsom, a Democrat, has the power to appoint a replacement for the rest of her term, which was set to end in January 2025.

The race to replace her in the fall 2024 election is already underway, with a primary scheduled for March.

Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University who is an expert on election law, said it’s possible Newsom could call a special election to fill the vacancy.

But the most likely scenario is that Newsom will select a Democrat to fill the seat.

HOW LONG WILL HER SEAT BE VACANT?

It’s not immediately clear how quickly Newsom will move to pick a replacement. No timeline is set forth in state law.

When then-Sen. Kamala Harris left her seat after being elected vice president in 2020, it went vacant for about two weeks until then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla was appointed by Newsom.

WHO WILL REPLACE FEINSTEIN?

Harris’ departure from the Senate left Black women without any representation in the Senate. Newsom was under dual pressures to name either a Black woman or Latino to replace her, and he chose Padilla, who became California’s first Latino U.S. senator. After that, Newsom said that if Feinstein’s seat became vacant, he’d appoint a Black woman.

As Feinstein’s health challenges intensified, California political chatter of potential replacements included obscure names and famous, including Oprah Winfrey.

Newsom, who is seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, will face pressure to make good on his promise. He could choose one of the candidates running in the primary underway to replace Feinstein, though he has said he will not do that. The candidates include U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, who is Black, along with Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, who both are white.

Newsom could choose merely a caretaker to hold the seat as a short-term replacement until someone is elected in November 2024.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who is Black, shied away from directly answering a question Friday about whether she would consider serving as a replacement if Newsom chose her.

Newsom could also appoint himself, though that is seen as unlikely.

IS THERE ANY IMPACT ON THE LOOMING SHUTDOWN?

The biggest issue Congress is facing is the near-certain shutdown, and there has been overwhelming bipartisan support for Senate spending bills so far.

Still, if Newsom doesn’t appoint a replacement quickly, Senate Democrats could have a more difficult time winning enough votes as they try to keep the government open over the weekend.

It’s unlikely that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republican caucus in the Senate will suddenly side with House Republicans pushing for a shutdown, but if that were to happen, it could make the votes around a shutdown tougher for Democrats.

 

Culled from Associated Press

ECOWAS Parliament moves to determine cause of unconstitutional regime changes in sub-region

News Editor

The ECOWAS Parliament has initiated moves to determine the causes of military takeovers, democratic regression, and political instability in the sub-region in spite of the existence of Community Acts and Protocols intended to consolidate democracy and promote political stability.

Concerns over the recent spate of military takeovers in the West African Community necessitated the need to examine the “Role of the ECOWAS Parliament Relating the Challenges of Unconstitutional Regime Change and Presidential Term Limits in West Africa” in a high-level parliamentary seminar organized by the ECOWAS Parliament to run from September 29 – October 1, 2023 in Winneba, Ghana.

Speaker Tunis, during the seminar, reiterate that the responsibility of Legislators is not only to create laws and policies but also to rigorously monitor implementations.

The Speaker said to ensure that ECOWAS performs maximally to the expectation of the people parliamentarians must facilitate robust and continuous discourse on the broad issues aimed at formulating effective and sustainable solutions to crises confronting the community and humanity in general.

“During this Seminar, we also intend to look at the causes of various attempts by democratically elected leaders in the sub-region to extend their term limits despite crystal-clear constitutional provisions outlining these terms, as well as the potential role the ECOWAS Parliament can play in preventing such anti-democratic actions.

“We note that the role of the Parliament in upholding regional stability, laying the groundwork for democracy, economic growth, and the rule of law, as well as acting as the voice of hope for all our peoples, is invaluable and should never be diminished. Parliamentarians need to step up to the plate and demonstrate the extraordinary leadership that is expected of us.

“The adage “to whom much is given, much is expected” applies here. We must embrace democracy as essential to progress and muster the confidence to speak out against leaders who are solidifying their hold on power against the wishes of the people because we have a moral obligation to do so.

“We must denounce those who start constitutional and institutional coups with the same zeal and tones as we denounce military coups. We must publicly denounce corruption, poor leadership, and anti-democratic forces while resisting those who seek to undermine our democracy. To that effect, the ECOWAS Parliament must take charge and ensure that National Parliaments carry out conflict prevention measures in addition to overseeing the effective operation of the ECOWAS Early Warning System.

“We must also be sensitive to the situation of young people in our society, who face poverty, barriers to education, many forms of discrimination as well as limited job prospects and opportunities, leaving them susceptible to engaging in anti-democratic initiatives.

He said that in response to the growing understanding of the value of youth in building resilience and peaceful societies, especially across the region, the ECOWAS Parliament is collaborating with Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs), led by Oxfam and its partners, including the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI), and the West African Youth Alliance, to establish the ECOWAS Youth Parliament.

The establishment of the Youth Parliament, which is aligned with the ECOWAS Strategic Objective #5: “Building ECOWAS into a community of peoples fully inclusive of women, children and youth”, will facilitate the active participation of youths across the region in achieving the community vision, in coordination with the ECOWAS Parliament.

Earlier the Head of Ghana Delegation at the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, said that the recent activities of unrest the the subregion should in no way provide a justification for military coups to overthrow democratically elected regimes.

“We must insist, fervently, that the answer to these acts of terror lies within our democratic institutions, standing as bastions of hope and fortitude amidst the turmoil.

“We stand at a juncture where the road we choose will dictate the future of our great region. The recent resurgence of military coups threatens to drag us back to an era we have fought tirelessly to transcend. We must firmly CONDEMN the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, and Gabon, along with the hostilities in Sudan.

“These actions are a betrayal of the democratic principles we hold dear, and we demand a swift return to constitutional rule. We must affirm, unequivocally, that regression is not the solution. Our golden age lies ahead of us, not in the shadows of the 1960s to 1980s”, Afenyo-Markin stated.

He said it is under the shade of democracy that aspired progress can be cultivated to propel Africa into an era of supreme industrialization in the wake of the AfCFTA.

In response to the recent incidences of military takeovers in the West African sub-region, the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has said that democracy in West Africa is in danger, urging all to work harder to entrench the principles of democratic accountability in the citizens.

He stated that the region is confronted with a difficult economic, political, social insecurity situation.

“Despite the considerable progress made by the community in the areas of democracy, good governance and the rule of law since the 1990s, “we are at the moment witnesses a significant decline in our democratic relations”, President Akufo-Addo said.

“This observation is bitter and implacable, today four member ECOWAS States are led by military government as a result of coup d’etat, this has unfortunately created a state of palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of the region, raising the spectre of region instability which we thought had been banished forever. Equally apart is the culture of violence and disputes that characterize the period of electing some of our leaders.

“In my opinion, regional democracy is currently facing three serious threats. Firstly is the attempted confiscation of democracy by elites who engage through legal acts in the manipulation of constitutional rules and the subjugation of the institutions of the republic with the sole aim of remaining in power.

“Secondly is the emerging remilitarization of governance with the return once again of the military unto the political scene. We’ve neither consulted or received any mandate from the people on whose behalf they purport to act.

“Lastly is the wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs which see to start lawlessness in the absent of freedom in our region.

“I want to reaffirm that in the contemporary world, the only legitimacy for any leader is through a mandate that is freely give by the people in a fair, peaceful and transparent election. This is the most tangible and objective way to know and recognize the commonwealth which is the wealth of the people.

“The election of Mohammed Bazum in Niger inboard this recognition of the commonwealth and that is why the coup in Niger is particularly tragic for the consolidation of democracy in our region.

“It is also important to remind us that democracy is not a western concept as some believe but rather a universal concept of general application. The history of the world, including that of Africa testifies that the process of electing and installing leaders in democratic circumstances provides the best form of government.

“Modern history has taught us that tyranny, oppression and totalitarian government do not last long. No matter how a people reject democracy and civil liberty circumstances will always force them back to embrace them”.

President Akufo-Addo urged Parliamentarians to speak against the extension of presidential tenures by some leaders to strengthen their grip and power.

These actions according to President Akufo-Addo, tend to result in discontent among the populace to create fertile grounds for which military intervention feed.

President Akufo-Addo assured that the Authority of Heads of State of ECOWAS will be receptive to all proposals and await them with great interest and expectations.

He said he hopes the conclusions and recommendations from the seminar will contribute to the deepening and strengthening of democracy, good governance, peace and stability in the region.

The seminar is expected to brainstorm on the major challenges facing the region and profer solutions, the Ghanaian president assures that the authority of Heads of States are expectant of the resolutions.

“There should be no backsliding in support for democratic values anchored on the promotion of the rule of law and respect for human rights.

The EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II) launch

News Editor

The launch of the European Union (EU) – East African Community (EAC) MARKUP II programme begins a new phase with the objective of supporting small agribusinesses and horticultural producers to compete in international markets.

It focuses on value chains ranging from cocoa and coffee to avocados, spices, and tea.

Over the last five years, the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) supported small agribusinesses and horticultural producers to compete in international markets.

In phase one, at least 115 companies achieved a collective $16 million in sales and exports. MARKUP I also helped draw in $1 million in investment for over 70 small businesses. Over 40 business support organizations shared that their work became more effective through their involvement in the programme.

Building on these achievements, we are thrilled to announce the official launch of MARKUP II on October 3, 2023, in Arusha, Tanzania. This phase, running until 2027, aims to harness the full potential of agribusiness in the EAC partner states.

The renewed efforts will prioritize sectors and value chains within the EAC, which lay emphasis on processing, value addition, diversification, investment, and export linkages.

EAC members include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republics of Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.

High-level officials from the EAC, the East African Business Council, the EU Delegation to Tanzania and the EAC, the International Trade Centre (ITC) will attend the launch, along with partners and stakeholders.

 

At the event, the EAC and ITC will sign a Framework of Engagement to chalk out a new path under MARKUP II.

EU’s Mediterranean, southern European leaders meet in Malta on migration

News Editor

The leaders of nine Mediterranean and southern European countries, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, have met in Malta for talks focusing on migration.

The summit comes on Friday, a day after the UN refugee organisation said more than 2,500 migrants had perished or disappeared attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far this year – substantially more than at the same point in 2022.

But it also comes as EU interior ministers finally made headway on Thursday on new rules for how the bloc handles asylum seekers and irregular migrants, with a deal expected in the coming days.

A group of 61 people on a wooden boat are rescued by crew members of the Geo Barents migrant rescue ship in international waters off the coast of Libya [File: Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters]
Long in the works, there was new impetus to reach a deal after a sharp rise in asylum seekers landing on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this month.

Meloni’s far-right coalition government, elected on an anti-migration ticket, has clashed with both France and Germany as she presses other EU countries to share the burden. So far this year, the number of arrivals at Lampedusa has already passed 133,000.

But Meloni and Macron have sought to ease tensions in recent days and met on Tuesday in Rome on the sidelines of the state funeral for ex-Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

“There is a shared vision of the management of the migration question between France and Italy,” a French presidential source said.

‘Clear message’

Paris is hoping Friday’s so-called Med9 summit, attended by the leaders of Malta, France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain, will offer a “clear message” that migration requires a response at the European level, the source said.

The EU is poised to agree a revamped Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will seek to relieve pressure on frontline countries such as Italy and Greece by relocating some arrivals to other EU states.

Those countries opposed to hosting asylum seekers – Poland and Hungary among them – would be required to pay the ones that do take migrants in.

Disagreements within the 27-nation bloc over the proposed revisions have now largely been overcome, EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Wednesday after the interior ministers’ meeting.

A formal agreement is expected “in a few days”, she said.

Both Meloni and Macron also want to prevent boats departing from North Africa by working more closely with Tunisia, despite questions over the country’s human rights standards and treatment of migrants.

The European Commission said last week it was set to release the first instalment of funds to Tunisia – one of the main launching points for boats – under a plan to bolster its coastguard and tackle traffickers.

Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi met with his Tunisian and Libyan counterparts in Sicily on Thursday for talks on stopping the boats, the ministry said.

Rome and Paris are also keen to intensify EU controls at sea.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is at the Malta summit, included the possible expansion of naval missions in the Mediterranean in a 10-point action plan this month in Lampedusa.

There are fears arrivals could spiral further if instability in the Sahel affects North African countries.

The Med9 summit, which brings together Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain, is expected to call for greater investment by the bloc in the so-called Southern Neighbourhood.

Extra funding may be earmarked for countries across the Mediterranean’s southern shore in the review of the EU’s 2021-2027 long-term budget, a European diplomatic source told the AFP news agency.

The leaders will also discuss regional challenges posed by natural disasters following a devastating earthquake in Morocco, a flood disaster in Libya, and extreme weather events in Southern Europe.

Copyright 2024 Reputation Poll Ltd. All Rights Reserved