Asylum seekers: “Italy has been abandoned by Europe”

The number of asylum seekers in Europe has more than doubled in recent years, representing the biggest movement of people to Europe since the Second World War.
What response can Europe provide? Cécile Kyenge, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and former Minister for Integration in Italy, was this week invited to the Centre d’Etudes Européennes at Sciences Po to debate the issue at a conference focusing on the reception of refugees and asylum seekers in Europe.
 
Exploitation by extreme-right European political parties, the opening and closure of borders, the limitations of the EU plan for the reception of refugees, and the European development aid policy are some of the issues discussed. Drawing upon first hand experience, Cécile Kyenge argues that “Italy has been abandoned” yet remains optimistic about the role that the EU can play. “In the last 60 years, the European Union has never been confronted with a more important issue; we need a common immigration policy based upon mutual support and cooperation". Watch the video.
 
In the run-up to the May 2017 French presidential election, the Centre d’Etudes Européennes at Sciences Po is examining the European issues at stake in the campaign. This conversation with Cécile Kyenge is the first in a series of conferences organised by the Centre for European Studies.