Get the enhanced episode transcript here 👉🏻 www.emmanuel-comte.eu/product/enhanced-transcript-29/.

As irregular arrivals test Europe’s southern border, Italy has stepped into a central role in shaping the EU’s migration policy. In this interview, Emmanuel Comte speaks with Maurizio Canfora, Italy’s Vice Minister Plenipotentiary and Director General for European Integration. Canfora offers an insider’s look at how Italy influences the EU Migration Pact, manages partnerships with Tunisia and Libya, and navigates border diplomacy amid rising geopolitical tension. Listeners will gain insight into Italy’s complex balancing act: safeguarding the Schengen zone, supplying its labor market, and curbing irregular migration through strategic cooperation. We explore Italy’s evolving stance on Frontex, the legal limits of maritime border control, and the country’s high-stakes engagement with France, Germany, and the European Commission. For anyone following Mediterranean migration, EU external relations, or the future of free movement in Europe, this episode is essential listening.

This interview was arranged by Lisa Sottanelli and edited by Andriana Lagoudes ‪‪@andrianalagoudes‬. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 101034403.