DISINFO: France and Germany aim to use immigration as a weapon to weaken Italy economically and blackmail it politically
SUMMARY
France and Germany aim to use immigration as a weapon to weaken Italy economically and blackmail it politically in order to punish Italy because Italian voters refuse to follow EU rules imposed by Paris and Berlin. France and Germany seek to transform Italy into a refugee camp.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory, no evidence given. Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about mass immigration being used as a weapon by powerful Western elites to weaken and destabilize Italy and/or other European countries. Another common pro-Kremlin narrative is that the Franco-German axis allegedly controls the EU (examples here, here and here), and, in this particular case, seeks to undermine Italy’s national interests.
Many EU countries – including France and Germany – are becoming increasingly aware that mass irregular migration poses a serious challenge for Europe as a whole, not just for individual member states. Italy, where most migrants end up if they make it across the Mediterranean, is demanding that the rest of the EU share its burden.
The June 2018 EU summit recognized the need for a common European policy to control and regulate migration flows, which should include measures aimed at tightening Europe’s external borders and providing support to countries of origin.
At the recent 22 July EU summit in Paris, France and Germany launched a new initiative to form a group of EU countries willing to systematically share the resettlement of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean. 14 countries have agreed to join this group.
For further background on EU migration and asylum policies see here and here.
For more disinfo cases on migration, see here.