Immigration should be a European issue - MEP Miriam Dalli

Irregular immigration should be a European issue, with a system outlining each member state's responsibilities, MEP Miriam Dalli said.

Dalli called upon the European Commission to forumlate a plan that is based on the facts of the situation and which assigns responsibilities across the EU, not just a few countries.

Dalli spoke during a meeting with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom, who then addressed the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee.

The proposed workings of the Frontex Plus initiative, which picks up where Italy's Mare Nostrum leaves off, also need to be made clear. "It is important to know, right from the beginning, how the initiative will work, what its range will be and how it compares to the Mare Nostrum initiative," Dalli said.

"Uncertainty on how Frontex Plus will work is raising questions," she said.