The Italian and Danish prime ministers, despite their opposing political positions, have united in a stark warning and called for the establishment of migrant centers beyond the European Union's borders.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a joint statement on Monday, August 10, 2026, sharply warning against what they describe as "uncontrolled immigration" into Europe. The two leaders, the only women heading governments in the European Union, called for the establishment of migrant centers outside the Union to facilitate the return of rejected asylum seekers to their home countries.
"We do not accept uncontrolled immigration into Europe, and we have led strict immigration policies both in our own countries and in Europe," wrote Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in an Instagram post.
In her statement, Frederiksen listed a series of concrete consequences that, in her view, illegal immigration brings to European societies. "No one can deny that illegal immigration negatively affects our societies: rising crime rates, increasing pressure on public services, and the erosion of public trust," she said.
She particularly highlighted the severity of situations where perpetrators of serious crimes lack legal status. "It is especially serious when illegal migrants, who have no right to remain in our countries, commit violence and crimes, engage in drug trafficking, or are responsible for sexual violence," Frederiksen added.
At the heart of their proposal is the idea of relocating procedures outside the Union's territory. Meloni and Frederiksen insist that "migrant centers must be established outside the Union for return to third countries outside the EU, as well as other innovative solutions outside Europe." These return centers, as they are often called, have been the subject of debate within the bloc for years and remain a highly controversial issue.
The joint appearance of the two prime ministers is particularly interesting given their diametrically opposed political positions. Giorgia Meloni leads the far-right party Brothers of Italy, while Mette Frederiksen is a Social Democrat. Aware of these differences, they emphasized in their statement: "We come from very different political backgrounds. We do not agree on everything. But we are united in our desire to protect Europe."
