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Join Telegram ChannelItaly's conservative government has worked hard to reduce illegal immigration over the past year, recording a 64% drop in the number of immigrants.
“It's not easy. We have worked hard to achieve this goal,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo.
“We are very happy about this. We are not against legal immigration, but rather against illegal immigration,” he said.
“Human traffickers are the most important part of crime. They are human traffickers, arms traffickers, drug traffickers. [belong to] the same organization, but we have to be very strong and fight against these organizations, and we are doing it.”
Italian court drops charges against migrant rescue ship crews, ends long legal battle
Giorgia Meloni at a press conference. Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right and national-conservative Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) party, commented on the party's victory in the Italian elections, held on September 25, 2022, at the Hotel Parco Principi in Rome. (Valeria Ferraro/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Tajani said the cut followed financial deals with Tunisia, Libya and other North African countries, a move criticized by some and welcomed by others, including a member of the opposing camp, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer.
Last year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke with Bartiromo about the political climate in Europe, including the apparent growing influence of the conservative movement, which continues to be part of political discourse.
There, she spoke insistently about the trafficking situation fueled by illegal immigration from North African countries.
“We have to fight the traffickers,” she said at the time. “What the traffickers are doing is unbelievable. These organizations are becoming more and more powerful, and they are using their power and the money they have to commit these crimes.” [have] “We cannot allow the mafia to decide who enters our countries.”
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Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani discussed foreign policy and other pressing issues on Sunday Morning Futures. (Fox News)
Meloni credited the instability — the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine — with opening the eyes of many citizens and allowing them to see the differences between right-wing and left-wing politics.
Tajani commented on the apparent shift to the right and its effects, telling Bartiromo that the Italian economy is doing better today than under the previous leadership.
“The economy is up in Italy. We are not very happy, but we are happy because there is less unemployment and the stock market is up. We have to do more… next year we have to cut taxes. [lower taxes]“It’s important. It’s our strategy.”
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