Will migration determine the outcome of Italy’s snap elections?
Far-right politicians capitalise on rise in number of undocumented immigrants.
Undocumented refugees are once again at the centre of a political tussle in Italy.
The interior ministry says more than 39,000 asylum seekers have arrived by boat this year.
That is 10,000 more than the same period in 2021.
Most refugees trying to reach Europe land on Lampedusa, the closest stop on the Mediterranean route from North Africa.
The island’s reception centre cannot handle the number of new arrivals.
Far-right politicians have seized on the situation in the run-up to the snap polls in September.
Could this issue influence the vote’s outcome?
Presenter: Imran Khan
Guests:
Andrea de Petris – Scientific director at the Centre for European Policy in Italy
Yambio David Oliver – Spokesman for Refugees in Libya, a non-profit organisation
Cecilia Emma Sottilotta – Assistant professor of international relations and global politics, American University of Rome