"Italy and Europe desperately need immigration." This is quite impressive coming from Giorgia Meloni, the strong woman of the European right who arrived at Palazzo Chigi promising a hard fist on migrant landings. Yet, as she welcomes the Mediterranean leaders who have arrived in Rome for the conference on development and migration, Meloni emphasizes "the strong signal" sent by her government with the latest three-year flow decree, which has significantly increased the number of work permits for legal migrants in Italy. Immigration is useful, even necessary, says the Prime Minister in front of African, Arab, and European guests gathered around the Conference Hall table. As a result, "we cannot continue to send the message that those who enter illegally will be rewarded at the expense of those who wish to enter legally." Four points comprise Meloni's plan. "First and foremost, we must combat illegal immigration. The second issue is the management of legal migration flows. Third, aid to migrants and refugees because "at the heart of migration flows there are above all people, lives, hopes, fears, and suffering, not just States". And, according to Deputy Prime Minister Tajani, Italy does not want "the Mediterranean to be a cemetery of people who leave their homes." Finally, the fourth point is about African development cooperation.
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