London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

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".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×