Abela calls for 'unprecedented solidarity' as reaction to refugee crisis

Home affairs minister Carmelo Abela called for for increased engagement from the international community as a response to the influx of refugees who have reached Europe's shores in recent months.

"This unprecedented situation requires unprecedented solidarity," Abela told an extraordinary meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Brussels, convened to discuss the EU's response to the refugee crisis.

"Efforts must be made to reduce the number of migrant arrivals in order to better manage the situation," Abela said. "However, apart from being a European challenge, the current migration crisis is also a global one."

He described the EU-Africa migration summit that will be held in Valletta this week as an "excellent opportunity" for the EU to engage on the subject with African countries.

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