EU ministers present action plan on migration crisis
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E-mail Xinhua, April 21, 2015
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Local residents and rescue workers try to help migrants after their boat sank off the island of Rhodes, southeastern Greece, on April 20, 2015. At least three people, including a child, died when a boat carrying more than 80 migrants sank off the Greek island of Rhodes on Monday, police said. [Xinhua photo] |
European foreign and interior ministers on Monday presented a 10-point plan on the immediate actions to be taken in response to the crisis situation in the Mediterranean Sea at a joint meeting in Luxembourg.
The plan called for reinforcing the joint operations on the Mediterranean Sea, namely the Triton and Poseidon patrols, by increasing the financial resources and the number of assets, according to the European Commission's press release.
In addition, the EU's justice and home affairs agencies EUROPOL, FRONTEX, EASO and EUROJUST will meet regularly and work closely to gather information on smugglers' modus operandi, trace their funds, and assist in the investigation.
The plan also includes an EU-wide voluntary pilot project on resettlement, and a new return program for the rapid return of irregular migrants.
EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European commissioner responsible for migration and home affairs, jointly stated: "The dire situation in the Mediterranean is not a new, nor a passing reality," adding that the European Commission would reveal a comprehensive European agenda on migration in May to address the issue.
They said the 10 actions agreed Monday were "the direct, substantial measures we will take to make an immediate difference."
Only 28 migrants out of about 700 seem to have survived after their boat capsized some 200 km south of the Italian island of Lampedusa on Saturday night. This disaster follows another similar tragedy which took place last week, during which more than 400 migrants drowned after their vessel sank off the Libyan coast.
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