Interior Minister Matteo Salvini
said Thursday that Italy will not accept proposals that do not
satisfy its demands for a sea change in the EU's approach to
migration.
Rome is unhappy about a draft document on European rules on
asylum ahead of an informal meeting of eight countries in
Brussels on Sunday in view of next week's European Council
summit.
"(Premier Giuseppe) Conte will go to Brussels. Either there
is a useful proposal, including one that defends refugees, and
these rules change, or we'll say No," Salvini, who is also
deputy premier and League leader, told State broadcaster RAI.
"He has my total support to discuss something that is useful
to our security".
Salvini had previously suggested Conte might snub Sunday's
meeting after the draft put great stress on the stopping
secondary movements of migrants within the EU and speeding
procedures to send them back to the State where they first
arrived - which is frequently Italy.
Conte told European Council President Donald Tusk in Rome on
Wednesday that it was unthinkable for Italy to also have to take
migrants that have made secondary movements, given that it
already is widely recognised as being the country most exposed
to primary migrant flows.
"I told him in advance that I am not willing to discuss
secondary movements at the Brussels pre-summit without first
having addressed the emergency of the primary movements that
Italy is tackling alone," Conte said via Twitter.
Salvini on Thursday suggested Italy could demand a
re-negotiation of its European Union contribution if it does not
get satisfactory responses from the bloc on addressing
migration.
"I'm optimistic about reaching a satisfactory agreement,"
Salvini told RAI.
"Everyone agrees about the protection of the external
borders.
"We'll see whether, after years of chatter, we move to deeds.
"We cannot pay six billion euros a year to the EU and get a
poke in the eye in return.
"I would not want to be forced to renegotiate this
contribution".
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