Italy frequently emerges as a spearhead in various domains, such as automobile manufacturing, fashion, and design. Recently, it has added another feather to its cap as a pioneering example in the refugee crisis management. ‘Defending borders is not a crime’ is the latest motto put forth by the Northern League party of Italy. The resonance of this assertion extends beyond European borders, given the surge in refugee migration, and is felt all the way from the Middle East to the United States, emphasizing the inescapable link between border defense and national security.
The party chief of the Northern League occupies the position of deputy prime minister in a coalition government. Italy’s successful navigation through the migrant conundrum, despite its susceptibility to unauthorized asylum seekers owing to its vast Mediterranean shoreline, has earned global recognition. Contrastingly, EU member states are less prone to such illegal trespassing due to their geographical position.
Discontentment with ineffective immigration protocols set at the EU level likely contributed to the assembly of conservative, anti-immigrant parties in the Northern Italian city of Pontida. Their selection of Pontida for their meeting emitted a deep historical and symbolic resonance; the city bore witness to the Oath of Pontida in April 1167. On that day, five Italian cities stirred a military alliance against Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Fast forward to a modern Sunday gathering that replaced Milan, Lodi, Ferrara, Piacenza, and Parma with Dutch Party for Freedom’s leader, Geert Wilders; Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán; Marlene Marlene Swazek of Austria’s FPÖ, who was riding the wave of a recent parliamentary win; the far-right Portuguese party ‘Chega’s’ leader; a representative for Spain’s Vox parties; and over video, a presenter from France’s National Rally.
The escalating refugee problem is impossible to ignore. A single Saturday saw nearly 1000 refugees making the perilous journey across the English Channel in unauthorized boats originating from the French coast. Four individuals tragically lost their lives in the attempt, pushing the annual total of migrant arrivals to 26,612, surpassing the previous year’s count of 25,330.
The burgeoning crisis compelled the beleaguered British Prime Minister to seek counsel concerning the expanding refugee population. As the crisis evolves, warning sirens are resounding throughout Europe. Officials in France, with an eye on the ever-growing Middle Eastern tension, predict an upward trend in migration pressure in the foreseeable future.
There are emerging worries about the exodus of Palestinian Arabs from Gaza, and now thousands of Lebanese citizens are fleeing to Syria. In recent memory, Germany grappled with more than a million Syrian asylum-seekers in 2015 and 2016, an ordeal that unfortunately was handled poorly.
The increase of anti-immigrant parties in Eastern Germany provoked the German government to establish border controls, directly contradicting Brussels’ passport-free travel policies within the Schengen area. This demonstrates an evolving outlook on immigration regulation in Europe.
The Patriots for Europe, the third-largest group in the European Parliament, have been carefully articulating their concerns about illegal immigration and its perceived threat to national identity. Italy, in particular, has shown signs of strengthening its resistance to migration.
The focal point of the discussion has moved beyond the binary of granting or denying citizenship. Consideration is now being given to the possibility of revoking citizenship from individuals engaged in criminal activities. This indicates a shift in immigration policy and national responses to the refugee crisis.
Statements suggesting discomfort due to enhanced migration, consequently making citizens feel estranged in their own country, have also been made. These sentiments resonate with many figures who fear the erosion of national identity due to the increase in immigration. For Italy and indeed many European countries, navigating this delicate balance between humanitarian responsibility and national security remains a taxing challenge.