During their meeting at the Expo in Milan last Wednesday, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron met in discussion once again with Matteo Renzi with particular emphasis on solving the migrant problem. In the long term, Italy and the United Kingdom both hope to deal with the ongoing migrant crisis with help from EU structural intervention by encouraging potential migrants thinking of heading for Europe to stay at home.

 

  Almost in argument as to the author of one proposed solution, Renzi and Cameron came together in agreement that an extensive network of refugee camps should be set up and managed in Nigeria and Tunisia to intercept migrants before they arrive in Libya and become prey to traffickers. Having mentioned this policy back in London in October, both British and Italian heads of state will strive to convince the European Commission to help fund this or a similar solution.

 

  Renzi in particular fears Italy being ‘left to fight this battle alone’ after French police were seen to be frogmarching illegal immigrants back over the Franco-Italian border last week and called for a ‘united Europe’ in an attempt to tackle the issue.

 

  Following the European Council’s launch of ‘Eunavfor Med’ on Monday which aims to identify capture and dispose of vessels and assets being used by traffickers, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has stated: ‘EU has never taken the issue of migration as seriously as we are doing now’.

 

  Despite this, London remains sceptical and the Libyan Tobruk government has already warned that if the European ships enter into their waters, they will shoot.

 

  Branded on Wednesday as ‘totally unacceptable’ by Cameron, the chaos in Calais which has seen immigrants assaulting vehicles in a desperate attempt to cross the English Channel, the British Prime Minister speaking in the House of Commons has called for better documentation checks in Italy and highlighted the necessity of stopping the problem ‘at its source’ referencing the illegally shipping of immigrants from Africa to the Italian coastline.