Spain: Germany and Italy Clash Over EU Migration Pact Returns

The dispute threatens to open a new diplomatic front between Berlin and Rome, following Italy's recent crisis with Spain's government. According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Germany plans to send migrants who first arrived in Italy or Greece back to those countries without processing their asylum claims, citing a German Interior Ministry spokesman who said the returns must begin immediately. Berlin bases its position on the new European migration pact, which took effect June 12 and significantly tightened migrant reception across the EU but is not yet fully implemented. Rome refuses to accept returnees until the so-called European solidarity mechanism is operational, which involves payment for each rejected migrant sent back to Italy or the entry country.