Rome, Aug. 3 (LaPresse) – “It is not I who responds to the Spanish Foreign Minister, but the numbers.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on social media: “Since 2023, irregular migration to Italy has fallen by 60% on an annual basis. From January to July 2026, sea arrivals decreased by 80% compared with the same period in 2023. Irregular arrivals by sea as of July 15, 2026, stood at 15,323, down 54% compared with 2025 and 50% compared with 2024. These figures are the result of hard work and bilateral agreements with eight countries of origin and transit that are now promoting regular and safe migration flows while combating human trafficking. This is why the new EU Pact on Asylum and Migration bears a strong Italian imprint, in line with the legacy of Silvio Berlusconi and the governments he led. I would instead point out that among the migrants who arrived in Ceuta there are more than 5,000 people from sub-Saharan Africa who cannot be repatriated or returned to Morocco. What will happen to them? Where will they go? The decision to suspend Schengen, supported by 21 European countries, is in line with the Treaties and is the right one.”
Migrants, Tajani to Albares: “I respond with declining irregular migration figures”
Rome, Aug. 3 (LaPresse) – “It is not I who responds to the Spanish Foreign Minister, but the numbers.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on social media: “Since 2023, irregular migration to Italy has fallen by 60% on an annual basis. From January to July 2026, sea arrivals decreased by 80% compared with the same period in 2023. Irregular arrivals by sea as of July 15, 2026, stood at 15,323, down 54% compared with 2025 and 50% compared with 2024. These figures are the result of hard work and bilateral agreements with eight countries of origin and transit that are now promoting regular and safe migration flows while combating human trafficking. This is why the new EU Pact on Asylum and Migration bears a strong Italian imprint, in line with the legacy of Silvio Berlusconi and the governments he led. I would instead point out that among the migrants who arrived in Ceuta there are more than 5,000 people from sub-Saharan Africa who cannot be repatriated or returned to Morocco. What will happen to them? Where will they go? The decision to suspend Schengen, supported by 21 European countries, is in line with the Treaties and is the right one.”
