Marion Maréchal, head of the list of Eric Zemmour’s party in the next European elections, announced that she would go on Thursday to the Italian island of Lampedusa where 7,000 migrants have landed in recent hours, in order to “support the Italians”.
The former MP must arrive on site early in the evening.
The small island located between Sicily and Tunisia has been facing an influx of migrant boats from North Africa for several days, welcoming more than 7,000 people, the equivalent of the entire local population.
The island’s reception center, built to accommodate fewer than 400 people, is overwhelmed, with men, women and children forced to sleep outside on makeshift plastic beds, many wrapped in survival blankets. .
“Everyone has seen the extremely impressive images of this migratory submersion, of which this is unfortunately only the beginning,” the number two of the far-right Reconquest party told AFP, stressing that “Lampedusa does not is not only the border of Italy but of all of Europe.
“In a certain way, France and the French government are responsible, since for example they welcomed the Ocean Viking (a humanitarian ship, editor’s note) in Toulon” last November, she further criticized.
“I want to report on the situation and bring a message of public support to the Italians,” added the former RN deputy, who has moved to the Zemmourist camp, affirming that “in a week, these migrants will be with us, in Nice or in Menton.
Reconquest is a supporter of the post-fascist formation Fratelli d’Italia, from which the head of the transalpine government, Giorgia Meloni, comes.
On Wednesday, Germany announced that it was suspending the voluntary reception of asylum seekers from Italy, provided for by the European agreements, due to “strong migratory pressure” and Rome’s refusal to apply these same agreements. .
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, for his part announced reinforcements in the fight against illegal immigration at the border with Italy, where the authorities speak of a doubling of the number of migrants, during a visit to Menton (Alpes-Maritimes) at the start of the week.
14/09/2023 17:11:14 – Paris (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
