G7 Leaders Tackle the Issue of Migration on Second Day of Summit in Italy

Bari: Leers of Group of Seven leing industrialised nations are turning ir attention to migration on second day of ir summit Friday, seeking ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys.

garing in a luxury resort in Italy's sourn Puglia region is also discussing or major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, war in Gaza, artificial intelligence and climate change, as well as China's industrial policy and economic security.

But some divisions also appeared to emerge over wording of summit's final declaration, with disagreement reported over inclusion of a reference to abortion.

Migration is of particular interest to summit host Italy, which lies on one of major routes into European Union for people fleeing war and poverty in Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Right-wing Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, known for her hard-line stance on issue, has been keen to increase investment and funding for African nations as a means of reducing migratory pressure on Europe.

Italy “wanted to dedicate ample space to anor continent that is fundamental to future of all of us, which is Africa, with its difficulties, its opportunities,” Meloni said at summit opening Thursday.

“Linked to Africa, and not only to Africa, re is anor fundamental issue that Italy has placed at center of presidency, which is issue of migration, increasingly worrying role that trafficking organizations are assuming, clearly exploiting desperation of human beings,” she said.

Meloni has a controversial five-year deal with neighboring Albania for Balkan country to host thousands of asylum-seekers while Italy processes ir claims. She has also spearheed “Mattei Plan” for Africa, a continentwide strategy to increase economic opportunities at home and so discourage migration to Europe.

More than 22,000 people have arrived in Italy by sea so far in 2024, according to UNHCR figures. In 2023, more than 157,000 arrived, and nearly 2,000 died or went missing while attempting perilous Mediterranean crossing.

United States has also been struggling with a growing number of migrants at its sourn border. President Joe Biden introduced new policies to curb migration after a bill he tried to get through Congress failed to pass.

However, immigrant rights vocates filed lawsuits on Thursday over new policies, and it is unclear wher y will be able to withstand legal challenges in U.S. courts.

Tackling migration “is a common challenge,” European Council President Charles Michel said after arriving at summit.

“This is route that we intend, toger with our partners, to put in place: this coalition to fight against smugglers, se criminal groups which are abusing (vulnerable people) to make money and to destabilize regions and countries across world,” he ded.

Apart from G7 nations of Cana, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and U.S., Italian hosts have also invited several African leers — Algerian President Abdelmjid Tebboune, Kenyan President William Ruto and Tunisian President Kais Saied — to press Meloni's migration and development initiatives.

Pope Francis will also become first pontiff to dress a G7 summit when he delivers a speech on artificial intelligence Friday. Or invitees include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

summit opened Thursday with a strong show of support for Kyiv: an agreement reached on a U.S. proposal to back a $50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral. Biden also signed a bilateral security agreement with Zelenskyy on Thursday evening, aiming to send a signal to Russia of American resolve in supporting Kyiv.

Describing it as a “truly historic day,” Zelenskyy said agreement was “on security and thus on protection of human life.” But some cracks appeared among G7 leers, with French President Emmanuel Macron deploring a lack of reference to abortion in draft of summit's final document.

statement after last year's summit in Hiroshima, Japan, expressed a commitment to provide access to safe and legal abortion to women and girls, and pledged to defend gender equality and rights of members of LGBTQ+ community.

But Italy's ANSA news agency, citing draft for this year's communique, said Thursday final document h no reference to abortion.

“I regret this,” Macron said, answering a question on issue from an Italian reporter. France “has included women's right to abortion, freedom of decision on one's own body, into its Constitution,” he said, ding that France defends “this vision of equality between women and men.” “It's not a vision that's shared across all political spectrum,” Macron said. “I regret it, but I respect it because it was sovereign choice of your people.” Meloni, who campaigned on a “God, Faith and Farland” motto, has denied she is rolling back abortion rights, which have been legal in Italy since 1978. But center-left opposition has warned that her initiatives are chipping away at those rights, including by giving pro-life groups access to women considering abortions.

According to ANSA, this year's text says G7 “repeats our commitment expressed in final communique of G7 of Hiroshima for a universal, equate and sustainable access to health services for women, including right to reproduction.”