European Migration and Home Affairs
Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos pledged Thursday that Italy
will not be left alone to cope with the Mediterranean
asylum-seeker crisis.
Italy took a formal step to protest the emergency with
Brussels Wednesday and said that foreign ships may be stopped
from docking in Italian ports unless the situation improves.
Avramopoulos described the situation as "dreadful".
"We are in permanent contact with the Italian government,
today and tomorrow we will talk again," he said in response to a
question posed by ANSA at the presentation of an OECD report on
migrants.
"The most important thing is that the European Union won't
leave Italy alone.
"We are by Italy's side, we perfectly understand the
situation on the ground and I'm sure we will resolve it...
(including with) new aid solutions".
On Wednesday Rome said the situation, with its impact on
social and political life, was "unsustainable" and "at the
limit" after over 12,000 migrants landed with 48 hours.
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