During the 2nd Mediterranean/Southern EU Countries’ Summit, which took place in Lisbon at the end of January, leaders discussed also the current migration situation in Europe and the need to better cooperate to support countries at the frontline, in particular Greece and Italy.

Some space was also given to discuss the principles of responsibility and solidarity within the EU towards the Member States in the Mediterranean. They called for a more effective and more convergent Common European Asylum System, in particular towards the front-line states. They also called for the immediate intensification of the current relocation process as well as ensuring adequate secondment of personnel to FRONTEX, EASO and other EU mechanisms which are supporting the reception and asylum systems of front-line states.
One of the points discussed was the need to reinforce cooperation with African Countries. Southern leaders committed to engage commonly with the European partners in order to promote development and growth in the southern neighbourhood and contribute to its stability and security, also through the new European Fund for Sustainable Development, which they propose to extend other African countries and regions.

The need to build partnerships with the African Countries of origin and transit was addressed. Central role was given to the stabilisation of the situation in Libya and to exploring new pathways of cooperation with the Libyan Government, in view of reducing the number of people arriving in Europe.

As a follow up, Italy and the rest of the European Union have agreed to pay Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), the UN-backed interim government that is struggling hold control of the country, to keep them from arriving in Italy.

The accord signed Feb. 3, provides for Italy to pay €220 million ($236 million) to the Libyan coastal guard and provide training to help them catch the vessels—primarily rubber dinghies. The Libyan coast guard will be charged with sending the boats back to Libya and putting people into camps. However, the political instability of Libya is such that there would be little guarantee of the conditions in which the migrants would be kept, according to Arjan Hehenkamp, general director of Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF).

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