Exactly as we predicted, the Italians are set to export their immigrant problem - the chosen mechanism being to give the recent flood of North African of 25,000 "refugees" temporary residence permits. This, according to Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, speaking to his own parliament, means that the migrants would be allowed "free movement" between EU member states, thus enabling him to dump the problem on other EU member states.
This, it appears, has prompted an alarmed response from the EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, declaring that permit holders would not have an "automatic right" to travel within the European Union. Spokesman Marcin Grabiec told journalists in Brussels that it would depend on the type of permit issued.
He also explained that migrants would only be allowed to travel within the Schengen area for up to three months if they had valid travel documents, sufficient money to live on, pose no threat to public security. Migrants found to have crossed over from Italy without meeting those conditions could be sent back there, Grabiec said.
However, that is to ignore the flaccid response of our own administration, which seems to want to impose as much stress and inconvenience on the British people as possible. With our Continental "friends" turning a Nelsonian blind eye to the hordes, it can onlt be a matter of time before these "refugees" make their way to Sangatte and thence to the nearest British benefit office.
But then, since benefits seems to be there for the taking and the British establishment seems content to throw our money at all-comers - especially if they are Muslims or immigrants (or both) - Italy seems to be taking a perfectly sensible way out. It is certainly more humane than the Maltese option. Time was though, in 2003, the Italians were of a like mind, but now they just provide the ferry (pictured above) and the papers to start the migrants on the next stage of their journeys to new lives – in Britain. How times change.
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