[1/2] An Italian Coast Guard vessel carrying migrants rescued at sea passes near a tourist boat, on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi Acquire Licensing Rights
Summary Higher arrivals, looming elections put migration high on agenda
Focus on whether Berlin backs proposed new EU ‘crisis mechanism’
Some propose Egypt for next migration deal after Tunisia
BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) – The European Union’s migration ministers meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how to handle migrants arriving by sea as Italy and Germany worry over increased immigration, with Berlin launching border controls inside Europe’s zone of open travel.
The ministers will have another go at agreeing a long-stalled mechanism to share out asylum seekers who reach Europe beyond regular border posts, and discuss whether the 27-nation bloc should seek a deal with Egypt to prevent more people from embarking from the southern shores of the Mediterranean.
Critics have said a recent such agreement with Tunisia falls short on human rights but more potential deals are on the cards as Rome sounds alarm over Lampedusa arrivals topping those in 2022 when Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni won national elections on an anti-immigration ticket.
EU talks migration as Italy, Germany worry over increased arrivals
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