Stocker and Meloni: Together against illegal migration in Europe!

Stocker and Meloni: Together against illegal migration in Europe!

On July 15, 2025, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome. The focus of the meeting was the fight against illegal migration. Meloni gave a positive assessment of the progress in the EU and discussed innovative approaches to the migration problem. She was referring to the different migration routes that affect Italy via the central Mediterranean route and Austria via the Balkan route.

Both leaders emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation with countries of origin and transit. Stocker pointed out that Austria has already started deporting Syrians who have committed criminal offenses. This issue is becoming increasingly important as the number of irregular border crossings into the EU fell by 20 percent in the first five months of 2023, with a total of around 63,700 unauthorized entries recorded, with the central Mediterranean route remaining the most used route.

EU enlargement and international cooperation

Another important point on the agenda was EU enlargement. Meloni described the accession process of the Balkan states as a “reunification of Europe”. She pushed for the integration process to be accelerated, which was also agreed by Stocker, who emphasized that both Italy and Austria are driving forces for faster EU integration of the Balkan states.

In addition, the two heads of government discussed the EU's reaction to the upcoming tariffs from the USA. Both spoke in favor of a united response and support for negotiations with the United States. A joint document on future cooperation in the automotive industry was also signed, as well as an initiative to promote green hydrogen through the SoutH2 corridor.

South Tyrolean autonomy and geopolitical issues

Stocker also expressed his support for the start of the parliamentary process for autonomy reform in South Tyrol. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine were also discussed during a courtesy visit to President Sergio Mattarella. Stocker proposed using Vienna as a possible negotiation location for conflicts in these regions.

Regarding developments in the area of ​​migration, the European situation has required that countries such as Italy and Austria work closely together. According to current statistics, the number of irregular border crossings via the Balkan route has fallen by 56 percent compared to the previous year. These successes are also due to the EU's increased cooperation with third countries, such as Mauritania on the West African route.

In view of the future challenges of migration, the EU has also equipped its framework with new approaches such as the EU Blue Card, which enable highly qualified job seekers from non-EU countries to enter and work legally. In 2023, around 89,000 highly qualified non-EU workers received such a Blue Card, with Germany issuing the largest number.

The next few years will show how the various strategies and international commitments will impact the migration situation within the EU.

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