Italy's declaration of a state of emergency over migration on April 11 in the face of a sharp influx could lead to the deaths of more migrants in the Mediterranean, a senior expert on migration studies has warned.
The latest flow of irregular migrants to Italy via the Mediterranean grew after the coronavirus pandemic caused panic across Europe, Ali Zafer Sagiroglu of Yildirim Beyazit University in the Turkish capital Ankara told Anadolu.
Considering that Italy is exposed to the flow more than any other European country and the stance of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni toward irregular migration, the declaration of the state of emergency didn't come as a surprise, he noted.
In line with her "naval blockade" idea, Italy recently has strived to prevent aid from being provided to migrant boats by non-governmental organizations, said Sagiroglu.
On the declaration of the state of emergency, he said that Italy had suspended many national and international norms regarding the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
"The procedure for investigating whether the landed people are eligible to apply for asylum was suspended, for example," he said, adding "this would endanger the lives of many people."
Sagiroglu also pointed out that the European Union would ultimately be responsible for any migrant deaths related to Italy's policies.
"Harsh policies towards migrants such as the state of emergency can also fuel xenophobia and anti-migrant tendencies," he said.
Meloni's Brothers of Italy party won elections last year on promises to boost the country's flagging birth rate and slash migrant arrivals in Italy, one of the main destinations for people trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach European shores.
On April 11, Italy announced that it had declared a six-month state of emergency to help it deal with a surge in the number of migrants arriving in the country via the Mediterranean Sea.
Some 34,000 migrants have arrived so far this year compared to 8,400 in the same period last year.
