Germany blames Italian government for disrespecting migrant relocation agreement

Germany has paused a voluntary solidarity pact with Italy which oversaw migrants being relocated in order to help Rome with the migratory burden.

As reported by the Deutsche Welle, the German interior ministry stated on September 13 that this move comes due to

Italy's refusal under the new government to take back migrants from Germany in line with the so-called Dublin regulations is partially to blame for this move.

Under the agreement, 3,500 asylum seekers who had first entered the EU in Italy would have been relocated to Germany. A total of 1,700 people have already arrived from Europe's southern border like this.

According to the publication, Italy's right-wing government under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has not been respecting this clause since December 2022, with only 10 out of 12,400 corresponding requests having been processed this year, the German ministry said.

This move comes amid the Italian southern island of Lampedusa facing an extreme influx of migrants the past few days, overwhelming the local authorities.