Europe

Von der Leyen pledges to help Italy curb migrant wave

Migrant influx into Italy has increased by two-fold since Giorgia Meloni took Italian office

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission (background) and Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister (foreground). Picture: Getty

Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, visited Italy’s island of Lampedusa on Sunday after Giorgia Meloni’s called for extraordinary measures to curb a surge in migrants from northern Africa.

Von der Leyen acknowledged that the influx is a Europe-wide problem, and pledged to address it in a 10-point action plan, including support for managing the inflow and transfer of migrants, as well as stopping smugglers by bolstering air and sea surveillance.