In Italy, immigration dominates European elections debate
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00:00 This morning, Giorgia Maloney is not here in person, but her face is everywhere.
00:06 As head of the government, but also as the leading candidate for the right-wing nationalist
00:10 party Brothers of Italy.
00:12 However, other candidates from her party are appearing on stage.
00:19 We want to defend our identity, we want a Europe for the people, and we want to carry
00:22 this message to Brussels with this team of candidates.
00:26 Italy will be voting for 76 European deputies in this election.
00:31 The country has to deal with a constant stream of migrants, and immigration is therefore
00:36 a major campaign theme.
00:38 On one side is the Democratic Party that advocates welcoming the refugees, and on the other,
00:45 the Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Maloney's far-right nationalist party, which came to power on
00:50 the back of an anti-immigration campaign.
00:52 Should they be elected, these candidates will join a European Conservatives and Reformists
00:56 group at the European Parliament.
01:00 Our borders must be defended.
01:02 We have to stop illegal immigrants from entering Europe.
01:04 That's why we must make agreements with North African countries like Tunisia or Egypt.
01:11 There are a lot of economic migrants and illegal immigrants who come here, and our country cannot
01:16 take them all on its own.
01:18 We have to take control of the situation.
01:21 Giorgia Maloney, who has consolidated support from her neighbours through the European pact
01:25 on migration, now wants, above all, to take control of her own political future.
01:32 The principal challenge of these elections is the consolidation of Giorgia Maloney's
01:36 leadership.
01:37 She wants validation from the voters after more than a year and a half in government.
01:43 A government that has limited the support given to associations working with immigrants.
01:47 Today, Pietro Bartolo, candidate for the centre-left Democratic Party, the country's
01:52 second largest political party, is speaking at this training centre for asylum seekers
01:57 in Sicily.
02:02 Immigration is enriching.
02:03 It's an opportunity.
02:05 Here we have few young adults, and due to bad governments, our young ones are leaving,
02:10 forced out by the lack of opportunity.
02:15 He then goes on to a meeting with locals from the town of Marsala, to the west of Sicily.
02:20 Despite Giorgia Maloney's promises to halt the waves of migrants, 158,000 migrants landed
02:26 in Italy in 2023, a 50% increase on the previous year.
02:31 We cannot stop people migrating.
02:33 There's no way to do that.
02:35 What we have to do on our side is to put official immigration channels into place so they don't
02:40 risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean.
02:42 We must save them and welcome them.
02:45 Immigration - a central theme here in Italy, as the party that wins the most seats will
02:50 be able to have an influence on European politics.