More than 90,000 people have come to the EU from countries such as Libya and Tunisia since the beginning of the year, Brussels authorities announced on Monday before presenting a new action plan. This corresponds to a strong increase of more than 50 percent compared to the previous year. Almost all migrants arrive in Italy, very few in Malta.
“We must bear in mind that a clear majority of people arriving today via this Central Mediterranean route do not need international protection,” said EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson. Many people, mainly from Egypt, Tunisia and Bangladesh, want to earn money in the EU.
In particular, the action plan provides for an intensification of cooperation with countries of origin and transit and for the launch of a new program against people smuggling in North Africa. National activities of EU countries should be brought together in a “Team Europe Initiative” and better coordinated. There could be a special framework and guidelines from the International Maritime Organization for the use of private rescue vessels at sea, which repeatedly bring hundreds of migrants to European ports.
In addition, better use should be made of the solidarity mechanism voluntarily supported by around 20 EU countries. It was launched in June to support countries where large numbers of boat people arrive. At the moment it is mainly Italy.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the new right-wing government in Rome would rather not allow private rescue ships carrying migrants to Italian ports at all. This is one of the reasons why the Czech Presidency of the EU Council has convened a special meeting of interior ministers in Brussels this Friday. It should also be about the new action plan.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi welcomed the announcement from Brussels. To date, the solidarity mechanism has produced “definitely inadequate results” for Italy, the impartial minister criticized. Piantedosi also called for better coordination of search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean, also involving flag states.
He referred to the recent case of several ships owned by private aid organizations. These drove under the flag of Germany and Norway. However, the states did not feel responsible when the ships carrying nearly 1,000 rescued migrants waited for days off the coast of Italy for a port to be assigned.
(SDA)