Leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in Italy turned to the issue of irregular migration after their pledge to give billions of dollars to Ukraine.
Migration is a priority for summit host Italy and its Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who's seeking to increase investment and funding for African nations as a means of reducing migratory pressure on Europe.
"Giorgia is fantastic," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters Friday, highlighting the two right-wing leaders' cooperation on migration and defense issues.
On migration, G7 leaders said they would work with countries of origin and transit to deal with the root causes of irregular migration, enhance border management, and fight people smuggling rings through the launch of the G7 coalition while creating "safe and regular pathways for migration."
Irregular migrant arrivals to Italy through the Mediterranean route more than doubled in 2023 compared to the same period last year.
Tunisia has become one of the main stepping-off points for migrants hoping to cross from Africa into Europe, and European officials are offering Tunisia ever-growing amounts of aid to try to slow the flow. Most of those fleeing war or misery are from sub-Saharan Africa but many are from Tunisia, which is experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation.
Tunisian authorities say they intercepted thousands of people trying to leave in boats off the coastal city of Sfax. The country's president said his country does not want to be Europe's border guard or a resettlement location for migrants in the face of deadly migration incidents at sea.
The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region is also focusing on global conflicts and the spread of artificial intelligence. Perennial issues such as climate change and China also will be discussed. As the summit opened on Thursday, attendees promised tens of billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine.
But some divisions also appeared to emerge over the wording of the summit’s final declaration, with disagreement reported over the inclusion of a reference to abortion.
The G7 is an informal forum with an annual summit to discuss economic policy and security issues. The members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
