EU: The European Commission proposed a series of measures to tackle the challenges posed by migration yesterday, including the use of satellites to track human traffickers of migrants.
It also proposed setting up a multimillion-euro EU fund to co-ordinate efforts to tackle illegal immigration and prevent the type of tragedy that occurred recently in Morocco.
In late September and early October more than 11 migrants from Africa were killed trying to enter the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta in Morocco. Hundreds of other migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in recent years attempting to cross from Africa to Spain or Italy to find a new life in Europe.
Commissioner Franco Frattini said a figure mentioned for the new migration fund was €400 million but this would have to be agreed by member states that will contribute. So far Malta, Italy, Spain, Greece and France had agreed to donate to the fund.
Mr Frattini said the fund could be used to pay for emergency life-saving operations in the Mediterranean Sea; technical assistance and equipment for the Mediterranean states in which migrants start their trips; and training for border guards in EU partner countries.
He said the EU states should also pull together their technical resources in areas such as satellite systems, which could be used to track down human traffickers of migrants.
Mr Frattini dismissed criticisms about the EU's previous failure to tackle the migration issue. "In the past member states were not willing to give a co-ordination role to the EU. But now they are demanding more from Europe."
