[International] Italian and Danish Prime Ministers Jointly Call for EU to Strengthen External Border Controls

Tens of thousands of migrants flooded into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta in late July, sparking a new round of debate over European immigration policy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently issued a joint statement rejecting the uncontrolled entry of illegal immigrants into Europe and calling on the EU to establish repatriation centers in third countries. The two leaders also sent an open letter to the European Commission, which was co-signed by the heads of state of 20 member countries, bringing the total to 22 nations expressing their stance, marking the largest synchronized statement since the crisis began. According to Politico, Meloni posted a statement titled "A Joint Message to Europe" on her official Facebook account on the 10th, admitting that the two leaders have "very different political backgrounds and do not agree on everything," but emphasized that the negative impacts of illegal immigration are "undeniable," including rising crime rates, strained public services, and loss of public trust. "The general public has paid too high a price for uncontrolled immigration for too long." Meloni's Brothers of Italy party is a right-wing political party, while Frederiksen comes from the center-left Social Democrats. Despite their divergent political stances, the two have collaborated on immigration issues multiple times. Following the Ceuta crisis, they jointly sent an open letter to the European Commission demanding immediate strengthening of external border controls and expansion of deportation measures. During this crisis, a large number of migrants crossed the Moroccan border into the Spanish enclave in a short period. Italy immediately announced border controls for travelers entering from Spain. According to The Copenhagen Post, Frederiksen also threatened to consider expelling Spain from the Schengen Area, a move strongly condemned by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Italy has a precedent in promoting extraterritorial repatriation mechanisms, but has continuously faced legal obstacles. According to Euronews, Italy's previous attempt to establish a repatriation center in Albania as a pilot immigration policy program was repeatedly rejected by Italian courts, and the facility remains largely empty. The EU's new immigration law, passed earlier this year, has formally incorporated the third-country repatriation center model into its regulations. This joint statement also extends the control demands to legal resident immigrants. Both prime ministers stated that adherence to the law must go hand in hand with respect for European values, "not only for illegal immigrants but also for the millions of foreign citizens legally residing in European countries." The statement also said, "We are all proud of Europe's Christian cultural heritage and are willing to protect it," and expressed the expectation that immigrants to Europe will not impose lifestyles that Europeans do not identify with. (Editor: Liu Xianghua)