(see related story on Libya)
The European Commission on
Thursday pledged to boost the assistance it gives to Italy to
deal with the crisis caused by the arrival of thousands of
migrants from North Africa.
"The European Commission will reinforce its assistance to
Italy for immigration," said Migration and Home Affairs
Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.
Italy appealed to the EU to do more after over 300 people
died in a disaster involving a series of migrant boats in waters
south of Italy this month.
The loss of life was blamed by some on the alleged
inadequacies of the EU's Triton search-and-rescue programme in
the Mediterranean, which replaced Italy's better-funded Mare
Nostrum operation last year.
"The message that we sent today is very simple,"
Avramopoulos said.
"Italy is not alone. Europe is at Italy's side".
The commissioner said Triton would run until the end of
2015, adding the the EU executive was ready to "react rapidly"
to any request for the operation's funding to be boosted.
Italy is also asking the international community to do
more to resolve the crisis in Libya, from where many of the
rickety migrant boats that attempt the hazardous Mediterranean
crossing depart.
Human traffickers have capitalised on the chaos in Libya
and Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday that
migrant landings in Italy have have gone up 59% since the
beginning of 2015.
Overall, 5,302 people have landed in Italy this year
compared to 3,338 during the same period in 2014, he said.
"We heard Italy's appeal and we are responding in every
way we can," said European Commission Vice-President Frans
Timmermans.
Gentiloni said Thursday's announcement as "a first step".
"We trust that at the March 4 commissioners' summit (on
the Agenda for Migration) further action will be defined to
cope with the urgency of the challenge," he added.
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