Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

EU ministers seek to resolve feud over illegal Mediterranean migrants

EU ministers seek to resolve feud over illegal Mediterranean migrants

European interior ministers have held emergency talks on migration in the wake of a dispute between Paris and Rome over how to handle the thousands who continue to attempt to cross the Mediterranean.

The numbers of migrants arriving on Europe's Mediterranean shores haven't yet hit the levels of 2015 and 2016. European capitals are nonetheless concerned about growing pressure on sea routes from north Africa and overland through the western Balkans.

With the onset of winter in eastern Europe, the EU is braced for many more war refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Italy's new government under far-right leader Georgia Meloni refused to allow a Norwegian-flagged rescue ship to dock with 234 migrants on board.

The Ocean Viking was eventually welcomed in the French port of Toulon. The authorities in Paris have criticised Rome's stance.

In the wake of this dispute, France demanded Friday's extraordinary meeting of interior ministers from the 27 EU member states.


Shared responsibility


On the basis of the existing agreement, a dozen EU member states are supposed to share 8,000 asylum seekers, with France and Germany taking 3,500 each.

So far, only 117 of those who made landfall in Greece or Italy have been relocated.

In the wake of Italy's refusal of responsibility for the Ocean Viking, France has declared that it does not want to allow ships to arrive from Italian waters, nor take in the 3,500 asylum seekers assigned under its EU quota.

On Monday, the European Commission unveiled another action plan to better regulate arrivals on the Mediterranean route.

"Obviously the meeting was set up following the spat between Italy and France over the migrants aboard the Ocean Viking," a European diplomat said.

"The action plan that was shared with member states is perfectly fine, but contains nothing new, so it isn't going to solve the migration issue."

Stephanie Pope, an expert on migration for the aid agency Oxfam, dubbed Brussels' plan "just another reshuffle of old ideas that do not work.

"It is a waste of time," she said.


Call for government-NGO cooperation


The plan would see a closer coordination between EU national authorities and humanitarian NGOs on rescues of migrants whose make-shift, overcrowded boats frequently get into difficulties.

And it would see Brussels work more closely with Tunisia, Libya and Egypt in efforts to stop undocumented migrants boarding smuggler vessels in the first place.

Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus often accuse the humanitarian charities of operating without respect for national authorities and of effectively encouraging immigration.

Other member states, including Germany, argue that there should be no limits on humanitarian operations: all seafarers are obliged by the law of the sea to save travellers in danger.

Ahead of the talks, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, warned: "With almost 2,000 people having already died or gone missing so far this year alone, urgent action is needed."

He welcomed the European Commission's draft plan for state-led rescues and predictable ports of disembarkation, adding: "While states point fingers and trade blame, lives are lost."


Concern over Balkan land routes


While France and Italy argue about high-profile cases of dramatic rescues in the Mediterranean, other EU capitals are more concerned about land routes through the Balkans.

Almost 130,000 undocumented migrants are estimated to have come to the bloc since the start of the year, an increase of 160 percent, according to the EU border force Frontex.

On Thursday, the Czech, Austrian, Slovak and Hungarian ministers met in Prague ahead of the trip to Brussels to stress that this route accounts for more than half of all illegal arrivals in the bloc.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said the EU should finance border protection and give members "a legal tool to return people who come for economic reasons".

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
×