Sweden has also started transferring illegal migrants to Italy, which complies with the provisions of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum. Victoria Holmquist, press secretary for Swedish Minister for Migration Johan Forssell, emphasized that Sweden had already carried out such transfers and intends to continue them.
Holmquist explained that effective cooperation is an important condition for proper management and control of migration into Europe. The Ministry added that from Sweden's perspective, this situation is nothing new, noting that after the European Pact came into force, transfers under the Dublin Regulation began to work better.
Before Sweden, Finland became the fourth country to decide to send illegal migrants back to Italy according to the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. This pact stipulates that asylum seekers must be processed in the country of their first entry.
The press service of the Finnish Ministry of the Interior informed ANSA that they believe that the entry into force of the EU regulation on migration and asylum management allows for the resumption of transfers to Italy, which are currently being prepared.
The government in Helsinki stressed that it is crucial for Finland that the rules for distributing responsibility for processing asylum applications are applied according to the plan, and that all EU member states fulfill their obligations under the Pact.
The government, led by the right-wing and far-right party Giorgia Meloni, makes combating illegal immigration one of its main tasks. After taking office, it unilaterally suspended the acceptance of secondary migrants from other countries.
With the implementation of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, Rome now risks seeing the return of thousands of migrants to its territory who managed to enter the European space through Italy. The growing list of countries announcing the return of migrants to Italy has already drawn criticism from the center-left opposition in Italy, which predicts an inevitable 'boomerang' effect.
Riccardo Magi, leader of the +Europa party, commented: 'Government revenues are becoming a 'boomerang' for our country, as was obvious to everyone except Palazzo Chigi [the Government Headquarters], which chose the path of propaganda instead of solidarity and division between European countries.'