Pusić to ETV Portal: Migrant centers are not an EU accession requirement, Meloni is using the issue to consolidate her political base
News that Montenegro has appeared on a preliminary list of countries where the European Union could establish new reception and repatriation centers for irregular migrants has sparked strong reactions among the domestic public.
According to information obtained by the Italian news agency ANSA, the strategy of the government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is based on expanding the existing „Albanian model“ to other countries outside the borders of the European Union.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić quickly responded to these reports, stating that Montenegro would not accept the idea of establishing migrant centers on its territory.
Former Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić told ETV Portal that these reports do not reflect an official European Union initiative, but rather the political interests of the Italian government.
- I don't believe such an initiative exists at the EU level. The Italian government and Prime Minister Meloni reached a similar agreement with Albania. It has had no real impact on the situation regarding irregular migrants and refugees in Italy, which remains the EU country with the highest number of such cases. However, the Italian government has used that arrangement for domestic political and propaganda purposes - Pusić told ETV Portal.
She believes that the reports now emerging regarding Montenegro should be viewed in the same context.
- I see these rumors concerning Montenegro in a similar light, especially after Meloni lost the referendum and now, in a way, needs to mobilize her political base again - Pusić said.
Speaking about any possible connection between migrant centers and Montenegro's path toward EU membership, Pusić categorically rejected such a link.
- This absolutely cannot have anything to do with Montenegro's accession to the European Union, let alone be a condition for membership. Even if such reception centers were to be agreed upon, they would have to be located outside the territory of the European Union. Once Montenegro joins the EU, it becomes part of the Union's territory - Pusić concluded in her statement to ETV Portal.