Local residents of the 18th arrondissement near the Jardins d’Éole fear that a new wave of illegal immigrants in Lampedusa, Italy would eventually reach Paris.
"We don't feel safe," one resident told CNews. He related that some newcomers had engaged in civil disorder and organized criminal activities like drug trafficking. Another resident confessed to feeling intimidated and scared due to the presence of groups of adult males loitering in the neighborhood.
Lampedusa has seen a substantial influx of illegal migrants arriving in small boats from the African mainland. Many of these migrants subsequently move on to the north of Italy while some cross into France and Germany. (Related: France in shock: 4 Algerian migrants arrested for brutal rape and murder of 12-year-old Paris girl found stuffed in a suitcase with throat slashed.)
Even local politicians voiced their concerns regarding the visible degradation on Parisian streets. Most of the new arrivals in the French capital have resorted to sleeping rough and establishing makeshift settlements due to the saturation of social services.
"You regularly have clashes, cases of alcoholism and drug addiction on the public roads of these neighborhoods, and unfortunately, networks of crack traffickers who take advantage of the presence of these people," said Pierre Liscia, a regional councilor for Ile-de-France.
In response to the issue, some elected officials advocate for the relocation of immigrants from the streets into more secure accommodations. Parisian councilor Pierre-Yves Bournazel called for an "emergency plan for the northeast of Paris," to help immigrants and resolve the problems of local residents.
"I am calling for a major emergency plan for the northeast of Paris, to get migrants out of the street is the dignity that we owe them, and thus resolve the problem of local residents who are on the frontline of nuisances and inconveniences," said Bournazel.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) is currently discussing asylum reforms to prevent migrants from entering the bloc and traveling freely to their desired, more prosperous nations.
The EU migration pact compels countries to receive their fair share of newcomers and imposes financial penalties for non-compliance. However, Hungary and Poland have vehemently opposed these plans, claiming they infringe on their national sovereignty.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he had exercised his veto power to block the inclusion of a joint statement on migration in the conclusions of the summit.
"During the bilateral talks, which I held a lot here, I was met with understanding. I expressed our voice very decisively in the plenary hall and decided to veto the part that concerned migration," the Polish prime minister declared during a press conference following the summit. "There is no provision regarding migration," he added, making it clear that the statement would not be part of the summit's official conclusions.
Morawiecki took his opposition a step further, stating on social media: "As a responsible politician, I officially REJECT the whole paragraph of the summit's conclusions concerning migration." This move highlighted the extent of his opposition to the EU's stance on migration.
He emphasized his government's strong opposition to the EU's asylum proposals and stated that Poland "does not want another Lampedusa." He reiterated his government's commitment to border security, particularly in the lead-up to the Polish election.
Morawiecki took aim at Poland's liberal opposition. "We are at a turning point in how Polish sovereignty and borders will be treated. For the opposition and the European Commission, borders are obsolete," he said.
Visit Migrants.news for more stories about illegal migrants.
Watch Dutch citizen Frank Krischick warn people against visiting the Netherlands.
This video is from the Frank Krischick channel on Brighteon.com.
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