Italian Minister Says Slight Improvements Seen in Libya Migration Crisis

ROME (Sputnik) — Some positive developments may be seen in the migration crisis overwhelming both Italy and Libya, but Europe still must join efforts to cope with the influx of migrants passing through the Mediterranean Sea, Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said Tuesday.

"There are some positive developments in terms of migration [situation] in Libya. It was necessary, despite all instability, to launch the two-pronged process: firstly, the control over our own territorial waters, secondly, the control over the southern border, which today is crossed by migrants, while tomorrow may be crossed by terrorists… We are still in a long tunnel, but for the first time I am beginning to see the light at its end," Minniti said at a press conference.

According to the Italian interior minister, while the situation in the Mediterranean could not be qualified as an emergency, the Italian coast guard had to be ready to bring the situation under control.

"As it did in case of the Balkans, Europe has to join efforts in the Southern and Central Mediterranean to counter this threat and to invest adequately, because joint efforts, as the practice has showed, make it exceedingly difficult, but not impossible," the minister said.

Minniti called the migration crisis "a landmark phenomenon" and said that the problem would be addressed at the meeting of the foreign ministers of Chad, Italy, Libya, Mali and Niger, scheduled for August 28.

The Italian minister said that the security of the population remained the main priority despite a certain decrease in the number of new arrivals.

Many migrants fleeing poverty and conflict in their country set off from Libya to reach Italy, choosing the so-called Central Mediterranean migration route. According to European border agency Frontex, the route saw 93,935 illegal border crossings between January and July this year.

According to the International Organization for Migration, 97,293 people arrived in Italy in the period between January 1 and August 13, and 2,242 deaths were recorded. The number of arrivals stood at 101,587 people for the same period in 2016.

According to the Italian Interior Ministry figures, a noticeable downward trend in arrivals could be seen in the last two months: 11,459 arrivals in July, compared to 23,552 arrivals in July 2016 and 23,210 arrivals in July 2015.