LAMPEDUSA (dpa-AFX) – In view of the many crossings of migrants across the Mediterranean, surveillance of the EU’s external border at sea and from the air should be increased, according to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “We can do this through Frontex,” said von der Leyen, referring to the EU border protection agency, on Sunday in the presence of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the island of Lampedusa. Von der Leyen added that she supported exploring options for expanding existing naval operations in the Mediterranean or working on new operations.
The offer is part of a 10-point plan presented by von der Leyen at the press conference with Meloni. This also provides for improving the training of the Tunisian coast guard and other law enforcement authorities. A particularly large number of migrants set off from Tunisia towards Italy on mostly unseaworthy boats.
Von der Leyen also announced tougher action against smugglers. But she also emphasized: “The most effective measure against the smugglers’ lies are legal channels and humanitarian corridors.” The better legal migration is handled, the stricter one can be with irregular migration.
Von der Leyen emphasized that there is also a need for more returns of people whose asylum applications have been rejected. The EU asylum agency is supposed to help Italy register new refugees – and it also promised support in bringing migrants from the overloaded island of Lampedusa. Von der Leyen also appealed to other EU states to voluntarily accept migrants from Italy.
From Meloni’s point of view, preventing migrant crossings is the only solution to the current situation, as she made clear on Sunday. The right-wing politician called for a European mission on Friday to stop migrant boats on the way. If necessary, the Navy must be deployed, she added. Thousands of migrants have arrived on the small Mediterranean island of Lampedusa in the past few days./mjm/DP/nas