Rome: Italy has welcomed the deal on immigration reached by European leaders at the Brussels summit. 

The country is the entry point for thousands of migrants and had threatened to veto the whole agenda if it did not get the cooperation it wanted on the issue.

“Italy is not alone anymore,” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told waiting reporters.

“Finally there is a common principle: migration problems must be faced in a complete manner. Solutions must consider internal and external issues as well as border controls. As stated in Article One, those who arrive in Italy arrive in Europe,” according an Euronews report.

The new populist government in Italy has recently hardened its stance on migration and came in for harsh criticism when it refused to let a ship carrying rescued migrants dock at any of its ports.