European Migrant Crisis: Italy-Brussels standoff over migrants and budget making Salvini stronger

A recent standoff between Italy and Brussels finally ended this week over the fate of 150 immigrants, largely from Eritrea, with Italian Catholic Church announcing take-up of 100 immigrants and Albania and Ireland announcing take-up of 20 migrant each. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s office has confirmed the take ups but expressed displeasure that more countries didn’t offer to take the migrants. There were elaborated thanks towards Albania, which has offered to take the immigrants despite not being an EU country.

The battle ended but the war is still on.

A bigger standoff between Brussels and Rome is still on as Italy demands to share of its migrant burden by all other European Union countries or else it would veto parts of the European Union budget.  The Italian Prime Minister’s office has confirmed that the country would not approve the EU multi-year budget unless the immigration policy changed. Nearly 140 migrants are still aboard the ship, docked in Sicily. All countries in the European Union have so far refused to take them, with Italy not allowing disembark.

The ongoing battle is a positive for Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, whose Centre-Right Coalition won highest numbers of seats in the election. Mr. Salvini also serves as the interior minister of Italy and has especially taken a hard stance towards immigration and the European immigration crisis. Reports have confirmed that an investigation has been initiated over his role in forbidding migrants rescued at Sea. Mr. Salvini expressed his defiance to his supporters in a tweet, “Rest