Meloni admits failure on pledge to curb migration

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni admitted on Sunday that she had been unable to realize her campaign pledge to limit the inflow of irregular migrants, saying results are "not the ones expected".

Speaking to supporters at a far-right political festival in the Italian capital Rome, also attended by industrialist Elon Musk and the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Meloni described migration as "the most complex phenomenon I've ever had to deal with", reported the Financial Times newspaper.

"I know well that on migration the results are not the ones expected," Meloni told the crowd at the gathering organized by her far-right Brothers of Italy party. "But I'm not interested in short-cuts that pretend to solve the problem for a while."

In her 2022 election campaign, Meloni had pledged to take drastic measures, including a naval blockade, to halt the inflow of unauthorized migrants.

But the number of irregular migrant arrivals in Italy from across the Mediterranean has increased to over 153,400 so far this year, compared to 98,600 during the same period last year.

In her speech, she added that she would take the time needed to create "a real, structural, definitive answer to this problem", and that she was "ready to pay a price" in terms of lost support.

Addressing Italy's deepening demographic crisis, Meloni added: "While the left thinks the problem can be solved through migration, we want to solve it by helping Italian families above all to have more children," she said. "Children are the hope of any society."

Following a surprise victory by the far-right in Dutch elections last month, it is expected anti-immigration parties could make gains in the upcoming European Parliament elections next summer, said the FT.

Since early last year, populist parties across the continent have been capitalizing on public concern regarding the surge in the number of irregular migrants arriving in the European Union.

In a separate meeting on Saturday, the leaders of Italy and the UK reached an agreement to address irregular migration to Europe, committing to enhancing collaboration in combatting human trafficking, reported the Associated Press.

According to a statement from Meloni's office, the discussions with Sunak primarily centered around their shared efforts in the field of migration, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in London in April.

Meloni and Sunak were joined in the talks by Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama in the talks, who is considered a crucial ally in the collective effort to effectively handle the influx of migrants from North Africa to European coasts.

Meloni said her government intends to pursue agreements with other nations, citing the recent accord with Albania to handle asylum seekers attempting to enter the EU. "This is not a phenomenon that a (country) can handle on its own unless it builds a network of alliances," she said.