Italy and Greece agree on Mediterranean migration alliance

The Italian and Greek heads of state stressed their belief that the European Union must pay greater attention to the requests of Mediterranean countries on migration management.

The issue was one of the focuses of a meeting between Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and her Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Thursday (August 31).

The meeting was followed by a working dinner between the two leaders of different political leanings but who currently hold aligned positions on national interests.

Deadly incidents at sea off Cutro and Pylos

Meloni and Mitsotakis have in recent months had to deal with mass deaths of migrants at sea trying to reach their countries: the shipwreck of Cutro in Italy and that of Pylos in Greece.

Deaths continue to be seen along the central and eastern Mediterranean routes used by migrants and refugees. Management of the situation remains complicated.

In recent days, an anti-racist movement had announced protests against a decision by the Greek government under Nea Dimokratia to work alongside Italy’s center-right one “in the war against refugees and migrants”.

‘Cooperate with Africa to manage flows’

Italy and Greece plan to focus mainly on cooperation with African countries of origin and transit, with an aim to manage migration flows and address the root causes of them. They plan to do so in part through creating new bilateral ties similar to ones already in place.

Meloni and Mitsotakis, who share interests also on the EU Stability Pact and other topics within the bloc, may team up using moral persuasion to encourage the European Commission to release the funds that were agreed upon with Tunisia.

However, above all they are urging the EU to manage the migration issue in an integrated manner while waiting for the new migration and asylum pact to be finalized and for a relocation system to be fully functioning.