- Title: Italian interior minister asks Europe not to abandon Italy
- Date: 12th July 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JULY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE AND ITALIAN INTERIOR MINISTER MARCO MINNITI ARRIVING AT CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "If you want to fight organised crime effectively you cannot do it alone. Organised crime in Germany is also clearly trans-national organised crime. Two thirds of the accused in German organised crime processes are foreigners. They shape organised crime in Germany. In almost 80 percent of organised crime mediation processes in Germany we see international criminal activity. And I suspect that these figures are similar in other countries." AUDIENCE SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "And that is why linking up existing European data bases is a central theme of European security politics. We are working on this with urgency and it would be an important win for the security of European citizens in the fight against organised crime." CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN INTERIOR MINISTER, MARCO MINNITI, SAYING: "If someone was to ask me today: who is more dangerous? An Islamic State terrorist or a human trafficker? Honestly I would have difficulties (in answering). Because I would not know for sure how to tell you which of the two was more dangerous. The only thing that I can tell you is that neither of them have any regard for the value of human life." AUDIENCE SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN INTERIOR MINISTER, MARCO MINNITI, SAYING: "In this challenge, on this extraordinary question, it would be a grave mistake to abandon Italy. Mistakes can be made. There are grave mistakes that are still weighing heavily on us, however I think that in the moment in which there is such an epochal challenge confronting us, we have to say to ourselves with all honesty, that no one can do it alone. No one can do it alone." PEOPLE CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN INTERIOR MINISTER MARCO MINNITI, SAYING: "If I can ask of you one small thing, let's think about this together in such a way that in the moment in which we consider this phase of history, no one can say, 'I could have done more'. Because the worst thing that can happen when we take account of history, is that someone looking at history could say 'I could have done more.' Thank you. Good evening." CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 26th July 2017 17:42
- Keywords: Mafia Italy refugees human traffickers
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016PEVWHZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German and Italian interior ministers called for a unified response to human trafficking on Wednesday (July 12).
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told a conference in Berlin that urgent measures were being taken to fight organised crime and the foreign people involved.
"And that is why linking up existing European data bases is a central theme of European security politics," he added.
Human trafficking was also a central theme of the meeting organised by NGO Mafia, Mafia, No Thanks.
Minniti also used the conference to call on the European Union to help Italy deal with the influx of refugees. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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