"Last week we all heard about the sad event that took place near the Italian coast, where more than 70 people lost their lives when a boat transporting migrants sank. It is always tragic to deal with situations where so many individuals, including young people, lose their lives.

It is unacceptable that in 2023 such misfortunes are still happening, but it is especially intolerable that some political parties use these lives to attack centre-right governments. After many years, the European institutions are still unable to react to the migration phenomenon, and they are unaware that there is only one solution: stop the departures.

Stopping these clandestine routes at their origin would prevent all these deaths and would put an end to the business of the smugglers, who have been working freely in the Mediterranean for the past decade.

NGOs clearly have a role in facilitating these trips between Africa and Europe; we should put an end to their business, which has also an enormous cost in terms of human lives."