The decision by the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, to call an emergency summit on Thursday evening is an indication of the magnitude of the challenge facing Europe on its southern borders.
As news began to filter through on Sunday morning of yet another tragedy in the Mediterranean, it became apparent that the European Union would have to take decisive action.
The news that more than 700 people may have perished came just a week after another ship carrying 400 migrants capsized.
Yet more stories of further drownings emerged – two boats are believed to have sank in the Mediterranean yesterday while a third ran aground off the Greek island of Rhodes.
The EU has long grappled with the challenge of immigration, but the numbers of those choosing to battle the waters of the Mediterranean to reach European shores this year has dwarfed the figures of previous years. So far this year more than 35,000 migrants from North Africa have made the journey across the sea, with approximately 13,500 rescued in a single seven-day period between April 10th and 17th.
The pattern of migration has also changed. While in 2010 90 per cent of migrants were estimated to have entered the EU through Greece, the erection of a border fence between Greece and Turkey has pushed many to consider sea routes into Europe. Others have been pushed farther north, entering the EU through Bulgaria's border with Turkey.
Though Libya had already been high on the agenda of yesterday's scheduled meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Luxembourg, Sunday's boat tragedy unsurprisingly pushed migration to the fore. Frances Fitzgerald was one of a number of justice ministers to attend yesterday's emergency meeting of interior ministers which was convened late on Sunday night.
The issue of migration spans a number of EU council formations, though primary responsibility lies with justice and home affairs ministers.
In total, 41 ministers attended the Luxembourg meeting. Speaking to The Irish Times, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan noted that this was significant in itself, given that the issue of immigration is taboo in some EU member states.
Despite public outrage over the plight of thousands of migrants fleeing poverty and conflict in their homelands, the uncomfortable reality is that many EU citizens are opposed to further immigration into Europe as evidenced by the rise of various right-wing anti-immigration parties.
Yesterday’s meeting began with a minute’s silence, followed by emotional interventions by the Italian and Maltese foreign ministers. Ministers were also briefed on the ongoing UN efforts to forge a peace deal in Libya which has been torn apart by fighting between two rival factions.
Settlement plan
The 10-point plan agreed by ministers included a proposal to double the funding to Triton and the introduction of a settlement plan which would see up to 5,000 immigrants settled across Europe. But in a sign of the realpolitiks underpinning the situation, it also included measures to tighten up rather than open up borders, and included the introduction of fingerprinting of migrants as well as return programmes for irregular migrants.
Confirming the convening of the emergency summit, Tusk played down expectations of a “quick-fix solution” to the migration crisis, though he said the summit would weigh “options for immediate action”.
As the death toll in the Mediterranean continues to rise week by week, those seeking asylum in Europe will be hoping EU leaders take their pledge on immediate action seriously.