EU to provide additional funds to help Italy combat irregular migration

BRUSSELS (AA) -The EU Commission on Tuesday said it will provide additional funds to Italy as part of its efforts to combat irregular migration.

Emphasizing the importance of treating asylum seekers with dignity and humanity, EU Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn said solidarity among EU members must be increased and that they expect refugees to be relocated from Italy to other countries more quickly and in greater numbers.

He was speaking at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, The need for European solidarity to save lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy.

Hahn said nearly 30,000 refugees arrived in Italy in the first three months of this year, a 300% increase from the same period last year.

Italy is the country that has received the most migration funds from the EU alone, he said, adding that it got €2 billion since 2015.

The EU Commission is in talks with Italy for possible additional emergency financial support, Hahn added.

He said European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson will visit Tunisia this month as part of efforts to combat human trafficking and support Italy by addressing the root causes of migration.

He also referred to Italy's recent declaration of a state of emergency on immigration following a “sharp rise” of migrant arrivals along the country’s southern shores, saying: "No country can manage migration alone. No policy alone is enough to manage migration. We need a comprehensive migration policy in Europe. In short, we need a migration agreement."