Italy, Malta call for global approach to refugee crisis

Italy and Malta have called for a global approach as Europe struggles with a refugee crisis while asylum seekers make their desperate attempt in search of a decent life outside their war-torn countries.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat met at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Firenze this morning as the world mourns three-year-old Syrian Aylan, whose lifeless body washed up on the Turkish resort of Dodrum: a representation of the desperate and deadly refugee struggle to reach Europe.

Italy, Germany and France are seeking a united response to the worsening plight of millions of refugees.

“It is not about a solution found by an individual country but it’s about Europe coming together with countries of origin, transit and destination. Malta is doing its best to support Italy in its rescue operations, but this is not the end solution. Europe has to give money, resources and legal means by which they can access Europe,” Muscat said.

With @matteorenzi discussed recent events showing #immigration is not just a #Mediterranean problem. Need for European approach evident -JM

— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) September 3, 2015

He went on to add that African countries must also play their part. The Valletta summit taking place in November should pave the way for “a blueprint for a long-term strategy that gives concrete results”.

The Maltese Prime Minister also said that that countries of origin must play their part in implementing a repatriation programme that is coordinated by the European Union, as opposed to individual member states.

Addressing a news conference, Muscat took the opportunity to remind the international community that the crisis in Libya should not be placed on the backburner.

“It is our duty to ensure that Libya remains on the international agenda. The country has been taken over by terrorists and no medium-term management plan can work if we do not have a credible partner in Libya,” he said.

Renzi, who thanked Malta for its collaboration, said while hundreds of thousands of lives were being saved, yet this “emergency” will prevail as the drama continues to unfold, reaching other shores.

“The father who wants to return to Kobane to bury his family at home is not alone: his hardship represents those who have died trapped in the hold of a boat; those who have travelled miles to reach Budapest and Austria,” Renzi said.

“Europe cannot lose face and it is Europe’s duty to give a humanitarian answer to this tragedy.”

The Italian Prime Minister reiterated that the EU had stepped its game when Europe was facing a financial crisis.

In Hungary, European Council President Donald Tusk said Member States should sharply increase offers to share out asylum seekers across the bloc to relocate at least 100,000 and should set up refugee reception centres outside Europe.

"Fair distribution of at least 100,000 refugees among EU states is what we need to do," Tusktold a joint news conference in Brussels with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

EU countries have so far committed to share about 32,000 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece, a number short of a European Commission proposal of 40,000. A new proposal from the EU executive is expected next week.

Tusk called for refugees' reception centres to be built close to war zones and "outside Europe, where refugee camps already exist" and also said EU leaders should be ready at a summit next month to commit much more money to the migration crisis.