La strada verso una riforma strutturale delle politiche migratorie europee: le priorità dell’Italia

Italy is once more witnessing an increase in the number of migrants irregularly arriving across the Central Mediterranean, while migration and asylum have made their return to the European agenda as central issues. Italy’s position on the migration dossier largely continues to be defined by key priorities such as the stemming of irregular crossings across the Mediterranean Sea, deepening cooperation with those member states similarly located at the EU’s external maritime borders at the Mediterranean, and requesting greater solidarity from other EU member states. At the same time, the issue of legal pathways seems to have re-entered the debate on migration. At the EU level, some convergence on certain issue areas of interest to Italy has emerged over the past year, such as an enhanced focus on returns within the broader framework of relations with origin and transit countries, and growing investments in the management of EU external borders. Yet, continued divergences among member states continue to stand as a challenge to structural and comprehensive solutions.

Against this background, and taking into consideration the on-going reform process kicked off by the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the webinar will reflect on how Italy could promote and contribute to balanced, multidimensional and genuinely European policy solutions to the structural phenomenon of migration.

The webinar forms part of the project “European reforms and Italy’s priorities”, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, coordinated by the IAI, and carried out within the framework of the strategic partnership with the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.

Programme

Panel discussion:
Stefano Bianchi, Deputy General Director/Principal Director for Migration Issues and International Mobility, Directorate General for Italian Citizens Abroad and Migration Policies, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Maurizio Canfora, Principal Director for European Integration, Directorate General for Europe and International Trade Policy, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Giuseppe Dentice, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Desk, Ce.Si, Center for International Studies

Moderator:
Asli Selin Okyay, Senior Fellow, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)