The head of the cantonal government of Ticino is warning that the border with Italy will have to be closed to refugees to stem the tide of asylum seekers entering Switzerland. ‘If the influx of refugees from Italy continues, we will have to close the border temporarily.’ Norman Gobbi, the Ticino government's president said. ‘It’s the only way for Switzerland to put pressure on other countries that do not respect their obligations.’ The number of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants crossing the border from Italy has doubled since last year and Switzerland is particularly critical of Italy for not honouring the Dublin Regulation, which requires that the first country in the EU where an asylum seeker arrives is responsible for dealing with his or her claim. Since the beginning of the year more than 50,000 refugees have arrived in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean in boats. Over the summer, the level of monthly requests for asylum is expected to surpass 3,000.