Two discourses, two strategies on immigration

WWhen Marine Le Pen and Giorgia Meloni use the word “immigration,” they are not talking about the same thing. It would be a mistake to consider the two far-right leaders as exponents of the same discourse. For the Italian prime minister, immigration is an external issue of human geography that must be controlled, and its regulation offers foreign policy opportunities.

By contrast, when used by the leaders of the Rassemblement National (RN, the far right), the term conjures up something completely different. It is no longer a quantifiable phenomenon. Instead, it conjures up a frightening imaginary world that refers less to real flows than to internal identity-related tensions and discomforts, the product of the long colonial and migratory history that has shaped contemporary French society.

It is about something quite different. In this confusing but effective discourse, the RN’s idea of ​​immigration serves to cement a series of national fears, linking Islamist terrorism, suburban riots, social fraud, crime and, since October 7, 2023, anti-Semitism to the figure of an imaginary migrant. The RN’s discourse is in fact aimed at citizens belonging to minorities, in particular Muslims.

In Italy, this subtext is absent from Meloni’s speech. The immigration theme is not used to mask a discussion of an internal reality, which she leaves to her League allies and the more right-wing cliques of the political spectrum. It refers to an external phenomenon.

Instrument for diplomatic action

In Meloni’s speeches, the migrant is presented as a “desperate” victim whose “right not to emigrate” has been violated as a result of failed economic development attributed to the predatory policies of external powers. In this context, France is a particular target. The migrant is also primarily a victim of “traffickers”, who must be combated with the help of Italy’s expertise in anti-mafia operations.

As a result, Rome’s migration policy has become a tool for diplomatic action. Since the beginning of her mandate, Meloni has laid the groundwork for a narrative that promotes renewed cooperation with African states. After hosting an Italy-Africa summit in Rome in January, she emphasized a narrative in which Italy advocates an “equal to equal” approach, laying the groundwork for cooperation on migration issues with countries of origin and transit.

This policy has led to agreements with Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, linking financial aid to more effective control of migration flows, at the expense of human rights violations in the Southern Mediterranean. As a result, the number of irregular arrivals by sea has dropped significantly, with 41,181 registered at the end of August 2024, compared to 113,877 in the same period in 2023.

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