Italy has threatened to take unilateral action if Europe does not make comprehensive changes to its migration policies, but Brussels is not likely to make any drastic moves on the issue.
The Italian government is pushing its EU partners to reach a political solution to the immigration crisis in the Mediterranean. On June 16, the European Union's interior ministers discussed ways to address the issue but did not decide on any concrete measures. The meeting took place two days after Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Rome was considering a "plan B" to address the situation, should the European Union fail to come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the asylum seekers reaching Italian shores. Renzi did not elaborate on his plan, but he said that it would hurt Europe.
Although the immigration debate continues to heat up in Italy, the European Union is unlikely to introduce substantial changes to its asylum policies and will probably opt for cosmetic reforms instead. This will jeopardize the Schengen Treaty, which eliminated border controls between most EU member states. The treaty is not likely to be canceled any time soon, but with no end in sight for the immigration crisis, calls to end the treaty will get louder.
The Italian government is pressuring the rest of the European Union to introduce three broad measures. The first is the introduction of a fairer system to distribute migrants. Rome feels that the Dublin system makes Italy particularly vulnerable and wants the European Union to come up with a new mechanism to distribute asylum seekers throughout Europe. Italy also proposes the creation of refugee processing camps in Libya. Finally, Italy wants the European Union to negotiate repatriation agreements with African countries.
The migration crisis in Europe has not reached a point where drastic measures are required, and most member states are willing to endure the status quo or introduce cosmetic measures to avoid reforms that could force them to accept a larger number of asylum seekers. Over time, however, this lack of real reform will hurt the Schengen Agreement. As Europe's economic and political crisis lingers, nationalist parties across Europe are campaigning on a platform that promises fewer immigrants and reduced welfare benefits for foreigners. With the migrant crisis unresolved, pressure to limit the free movement of people within Europe or to reintroduce border controls will only grow.
