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Europe's migration standoff

Is it time for the EU to forge a new pact on migration and asylum?

The Italian government has been calling on European countries to come up with a new plan to absorb migrants reaching its shores via the Mediterranean Sea. A tougher approach to migration was one of the campaign promises of the deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, and after his League party's victory in 2018, Italy banned migrant rescue ships from docking in its ports. The actual number of migrants arriving in Italy by sea has been going down every year since 2016, when the European Union began to train the Libyan and Tunisian coast guard to intercept migrant boats and return them to North Africa. But the UN says migrants are being held in appalling conditions at detention centres in Libya, and the fighting there is endangering their lives. So, is it time for Europe to reconsider its partnership with Libya? Why are European countries failing to agree on a plan to help out Italy? And how much of the concern expressed by Italy are motivated by political reasons? Join Ritula Shah and guests as they discuss Europe's migration standoff.

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Sat 20 Jul 2019 03:06GMT

Contributors

Yves Pascouau - founder of European Migration Law, an NGO focusing on EU migration and asylum law and policy

Luigi Scazzieri - research fellow at the Centre for European Reform

Amira Fathalla -ΜύΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ journalist specialising on Libya and North Africa

Sally Hayden - journalist and photographer focusing on migration

Also featuring:

Lorenzo TondoΜύ-ΜύΜύjournalist covering migration issues all over Sicily for the Guardian newspaper.

Claudio Borghi -Μύa member of parliament from the League party and an Economic Spokesman for the party

Jan Schill - Sea Watch 3's head of mission

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Photo

Migrants aboard a boat react after learning that they are being rescued by Sea Watch 3 off Libya's coast. Photo by Federico Scoppa/AFP/Getty Images)

Broadcasts

  • Fri 19 Jul 2019 08:06GMT
  • Fri 19 Jul 2019 23:06GMT
  • Sat 20 Jul 2019 02:06GMT
  • Sat 20 Jul 2019 03:06GMT

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