The Italian government announced that it will pass tougher migration measures on Monday as the European Union scrambles to find a united response to a recent surge in arrivals on the small island of Lampedusa.
In a bid to regain the initiative, the cabinet will approve the creation of more detention centres in isolated areas and lengthen the time migrants awaiting repatriation can be detained to up to 18 months from three at present, Reuters reported.
More than 127,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, as indicated by government data, almost double the figure for the same period of 2022.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who won office last year vowing to curb illegal immigration, visited Lampedusa on Sunday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and asked Brussels to do more to help.
Ms Von der Leyen responded by promising a 10-point EU action plan to relieve the pressure.
But the emergency plan, which promises a reinforcement of measures already in place that have failed to make much impact in the past, leaves many questions unanswered.
It promises to support the transfer of people out of Lampedusa to other countries in the 27-member bloc on a voluntary basis, yet some countries have refused to apply such a mechanism.
Migration remains a deeply divisive topic in the bloc. A migration and asylum pact has been under discussion for the past four years and officials hope to finalise it by next year.
Negotiations remain tense. EU leaders in June voted by qualified majority to render compulsory the sharing of asylum seekers, with Poland and Hungary voting against the proposals. Bulgaria, Malta, Lithuania and Slovakia abstained.
Further discussions are expected at a home affairs council in Brussels later this month, but few countries seem eager to welcome the migrants who are currently in Lampedusa.
Questioned by French TV on Monday, France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who was scheduled to travel later to Rome to discuss migration, said that France would not host them.
"It would be an error of judgment to consider that migrants, because they arrive in Europe, must immediately be distributed throughout all European countries," he told Europe 1-CNews.
Repatriation agreements
Ms von der Leyen wants to increase negotiations with some of the countries of origin of migrants to intensify their rate of return. They include Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal and Burkina Faso.
She announced on Sunday that she would send the Commission's vice-president Margaritas Schinas "to negotiate" but did not specify which country he would visit.
Rome only has repatriation agreements with some of the countries whose migrants come ashore in Italy, and even when there is a bilateral deal in place, it can take months to send people home.
Highlighting the difficulties, data produced by the OpenPolis think tank shows that only 20 per cent of those targeted by a repatriation order left the country between 2014 and 2020.
The final point of Ms von der Leyen's 10-point plan is to accelerate the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding signed this summer with Tunisia.
The agreement includes €105 million in aid to combat irregular immigration and €150 million in budgetary aid, at a time when Tunisia is strangled by debt and talks with the IMF for a bailout have soured.
As part of the €105 million package, the EU is looking at reinforcing coastal surveillance systems and is currently refitting 17 Tunisian coastguard vessels to make them fully seaworthy, which entails engine repairs, a representative said on Monday. It remains unclear when these new projects will be operational.
So far, Tunisia has not received any of the promised budgetary aid. "It will be adopted this year once all procedures have been followed" said Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero.
Ms Meloni on Sunday called on Brussels to stop considering an IMF deal as mandatory for the EU's aid to be disbursed.
"We need to show that Europe is offering a contribution but that in return Europe is asking to take on a responsibility", she said.
More from Aya Iskandarani
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Atalanta v Juventus (6pm)
AC Milan v Napoli (9pm)
Torino v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
Sunday
Bologna v Parma (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Lazio (6pm)
Roma v Brescia (6pm)
Verona v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Udinese (9pm)
Lecce v Cagliari (11.45pm)
Monday
SPAL v Genoa (11.45pm)
Specs
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
WandaVision
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany
Directed by: Matt Shakman
Rating: Four stars
AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
