Following yesterday’s summit, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “The special summit of yesterday that was supposed to solve the humanitarian crisis in the mediterranean ended up being just a collection of half-baked measures. Whilst on Monday the PPE, Socialists and Liberals in the European Parliament had called for more resources for sea search and rescue and a more coherent EU migration policy, and while the PPE asked for fixed quotas of asylum seekers to be taken in by each and every country, the National governments have ignored their own political families.”

“Despite the financial resources being increased, only a limited mandate has been given for the saving of lives in the mediterranean to the Triton operation, no possibility of applying for humanitarian visas directly in the troubled countries in the African continent has been given and, with all its vaunted cry of responsibility sharing, there has only been the set up of a voluntary pilot project on resettlement across the EU of persons qualifying for protection.”

“These half baked decisions will not solve the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean”.