Sputnik: In your view, will Italy's new government be able to make some significant changes to migration policy that perhaps will see refugees filing for asylum in the first EU country that they enter?
Roberto D'Alimonte: What I see is that this government is determined to put the issue on the EU agenda. I think somehow it will be made. I am not sure how much progress will be made, the issue is a very complicated one, but certainly this government is putting a lot of pressure on the European institutions. It seems that Germany at least is listening, and also France, to some extent. So, we'll see. There is going to be a European Council [meeting] very important in the end of this month, and we'll see what comes out of that.
Sputnik: It is thought that because of its geographical location, Italy has really taken a huge brunt of the migration problem on. I know that they now are trying to ban NGO ships and they are going to bring their own coast guard in closer to the coast. Do you think that this will be effective and really reducing the number of migrants who are able to reach Italy? Will it, perhaps, also cost more human lives?
Roberto D'Alimonte: It would not be effective and it will cost more human lives. It would not be effective because, I express my opinion, because the real issue is to prevent these refugees to leave, to get on these boats. You have to prevent it. Once they are out there in the Mediterranean, the issue cannot be resolved in a satisfactory way.
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You see, the problem is not just the numbers; because the numbers of the refugees are not that great yet. The real issue is that the Italian people, the Italian voters. They don't see an end to this phenomenon. The real issue is because there is not a policy, there is no common European policy, this "invasion," it seems is going to last forever. Because there are millions of Africans are out there, who want to come to Europe for a better life. Basically, Italian shores are the ones that are the closest and the easiest to arrive at. So, it's the perception of the lack of a solution looking into the continuation of this "invasion" that it is the real issue. It is a political problem.
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