- Title: BELGIUM: Italy demands more action from EU to prevent migrant disasters
- Date: 13th May 2014
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION BUILDING EU FLAGS OUTSIDE EUROPEAN COMMISSION BUILDING
- Embargoed: 28th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Belgium
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: European Union,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5Y6LINBUZGMCHELZM8A131BLD
- Story Text: Italy on Tuesday (May 13) urged the EU to step up help to prevent migrant disasters on its shores following the sinking of a boat carrying hundreds south of Sicily.
Italian naval and coast guard vessels recovered 14 bodies and rescued around 200 people in the sea between Libya and southern Sicily on Monday (May12), a day after dozens were drowned in a similar incident.
Italian politicians have long demanded more help from the rest of the European Union to deal with the crisis, which disproportionately affects the bloc's southernmost countries.
Speaking after meeting with his peers in Brussels, Italian under-secretary for European affairs Sandro Gozi said Italy wanted the EU to increase its support in managing the flow of migrants crossing in boats from North Africa.
"This means that real common immigration and asylum policies do not exist. Why? Because the treaties are written but not implemented. There is an article in the treaty that deals about solidarity in the fields of immigration and asylum. We want to act swiftly, we want that the obligation of common political management of the borders, management of legal migration, and also that a real European framework in the area of asylum sees the light, we want this discussed effectively at the European Council in June," Gozi told reporters.
Italy has also called for a change to rules which oblige asylum seekers to remain in the country in which they first arrive.
Answering a claim that the EU fails to do enough to address migration problems, spokesman Michele Cercone said they were ready to listen.
"Is there more that Italy wants the Commission to do? We are here to listen. And we are here everyday, there is no problem and there are ongoing contacts, daily contacts with the Italian authorities. So, if they need more from the Commission side we are open to dialogue, to discuss and to see in the framework of our competencies and our resources. We've done what we have been asked up to the full extend. We are ready to do even more if needed, but we have to be guided by the Italian authorities when it comes to finding the solutions, we cannot find solutions at their place," he told a daily news briefing.
Many migrants hope to travel onwards into northern European countries with stronger economies than Italy, which has grown little in a decade and where unemployment is near 40-year highs. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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