UK supports Malta, Italy call for emergency EU meeting

Joseph Muscat, Matteo Renzi address joint press conference

United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron is supporting Italy’s and Malta’s call for an emergency meeting of European leaders to discuss the migration situation and repeated tragedies taking place in the Mediterranean solution.

The extraordinary EU summit on Libya will take place on Thursday.

I support Italian Prime Minister Renzi’s call for an emergency meeting of EU leaders to find a comprehensive solution.

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 20, 2015

I've just spoken with the Italian and Maltese Prime Ministers about the tragic deaths in the Mediterranean.

— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 20, 2015

Cameron, who spoke with both Joseph Muscat and Matteo Renzi about the Saturday night’s tragic deaths, said a comprehensive solution must be found.

Addressing a joint press conference at Palazzo Chigi, the Italian and Maltese prime ministers said that the human smuggling and “slave traders” had to stop.

“It is time for Europe to join in and fight the smugglers who are raking in millions out of every deadly voyage.  These are criminal masterminds profiting from modern day salvery and who must be brought to justice,” Muscat said.

He said that Malta was giving its 100% in the hope of saving lives, but Italy and Malta could not go on, on their own. Muscat said that these criminals – raking in between $1 million and $5 million with every trip – should be stopped before the people they are smuggling leave the coasts of Libya.

According to Muscat, the hundreds who died on Saturday night served as a “game changer” for EU leaders, providing “a fresh realisation” that if it doesn’t act now, history will judge Europe harshly.

Niente demagogia almeno oggi. La battaglia di tutti deve essere contro i trafficanti di esseri umani. Sono i nuovi schiavisti #Mediterraneo

— Matteo Renzi (@matteorenzi) April 19, 2015

Renzi said they were not exaggerating the use of the word “slavery”, insisting that smuggling from Libya had become “a commercialisation of the human tragedy”.

“The escalation in the number of the trips shows that there are criminals behind it and we can’t allow this to go on.” The Italian Premier also expressed gratitude to Malta for its support in ensuring that the Mediterranean returns to be “a sea of dialogue”.

Muscat, who in between meetings in Italy also managed to given an interview to CNN and Al Jazeera, reiterated that the securitisation of Libya’s coast was of prime importance.

In reply to questions by journalists, Muscat said he was not advocating an invasion in Libya but for Europe to join forces and fight the criminal groups.