Europe and the Italian crisis

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, Italy experienced an unprecedented influx of immigrants. Since the last Italian election, immigration policy has become a hotter-than-ever issue both at national and European level. Several incidents (such as the ‘Aquarius’) have highlighted the question of European laws and solidarity regarding immigration issues. The intensification of intra-European tensions, since 2011, has shown the overall weaknesses of the major European responses to the demands from Italian authorities.