Italy migration summit aims to help Africa reduce migrant flows to Europe

Mediterranean and Middle East countries are meeting in Rome on Sunday (23 July) in an international conference organized by the Italian government to boost efforts to stem illegal migration flows.

The meeting is to discuss development projects in the Southern Mediterranean and North Africa and partnerships for projects in sectors including agriculture, infrastructure and health, an Italian government statement said on Friday (21 July).

Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, one of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s closest allies, stated last month that “human trafficking cannot be stopped with police officers on the beaches, but with a comprehensive strategy.” Therefore, Italy says the aim of the conference is to find ways to help countries in Africa in order to reduce the impetus for migrants to reach Europe.

Italy’s migration conference brings together key stakeholders, policymakers, and experts from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, along with the European Union and the IMF, among others, to formulate a holistic strategy to address the underlying causes of migration from Africa to Europe.

However France, which clashed with Italy last year over immigration, is not expected to attend the event and its absence could dilute any outcome. But the organizers still hope the meeting will provide a platform for transcending traditional migration approaches by focusing on empowering African nations and enhancing cooperation between Africa and Europe.

The conference in Rome comes days after Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed the EU for signing a partnership deal with Tunisia, calling on the bloc to suspend migration control funding to Tunisian security forces until a human rights impact assessment has been carried out. “By funding security forces who commit abuses during migration control, the EU shares responsibility for the suffering of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Tunisia,” the HRW said.