Information
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni launched a summit of African leaders in Rome to present a development plan called the Mattei Plan. The plan aims to increase investment in Africa to reduce Mediterranean sea migration. During her electoral campaign, Meloni promised to reduce migration, but the number of arrivals in Italy increased significantly last year, reaching 157,600, the highest since 2016. Meloni proposed pilot projects in Africa to make it a significant energy exporter to Europe, helping Europe reduce its reliance on Russian energy. She emphasized the need to give Africa the chance to develop energy resources and promised an initial investment of €5.5 billion ($5.95 billion) for the projects.
Italy’s plan for Africa received a cautious reception at the summit, with African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat expressing disappointment over the lack of prior consultation. Representatives from 45 African states and several African presidents attended the summit. Italian green and opposition lawmakers held a counter-conference criticizing the Mattei Plan. In addition to the Mattei Plan, Meloni’s government has made controversial deals with individual countries to address Italy’s migration burden.
Source: Reuters, AFP, AP
Assessment
It is positive to see a European leader looking at new ways to counter migration, as the current policies are clearly not adequate. While it is highly unlikely that this will be a “quick fix”, creating more opportunities and improving conditions is likely one of the most effective ways of discouraging mass migration. A mixture of increased action against smuggling groups, stronger deportation policies and increased investment in Africa is possibly the only way to discourage the flow of migrants into Europe. At the end of the day, the EU needs to make the dangerous journey unappealing to people in Africa, which is a tall ask without improving the situation in their home countries.
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