In a significant move to address the deepening migration crisis, leaders of the nine Mediterranean member states of the European Union, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, gather in Malta for pivotal discussions primarily centering around migration.
This summit comes in the wake of the disconcerting announcement from the UN Refugee Agency on Thursday, revealing that over 2,500 migrants have either perished or gone missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe since the beginning of this year. Alarmingly, this number considerably surpasses the tally from the same period in 2022.
This mounting concern is further underscored as EU interior ministers noted substantial progress on Thursday regarding the formulation of new regulations to manage asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. Expectations are rife about a potential consensus being reached in the coming days.
A palpable sense of urgency propels the push for an agreement, especially after the sharp uptick in migrants arriving on the small Italian island of Lampedusa earlier this month. The EU is on the cusp of endorsing a revamped migration and asylum pact. This initiative is aimed at alleviating the strain on frontline nations, notably Italy and Greece, by redistributing some of the incoming individuals to other member states.
Historically, migration has been a contentious issue for the European bloc, with countries divided over their responsibilities towards refugees and economic migrants. While some countries have been more accepting, others have built barriers, both physical and legislative. This latest meeting highlights the EU’s commitment to finding a united and humanitarian response to the crisis.
