Ministers from Malta, Italy, Cyprus and Greece meet to develop shared strategies to prevent potential migratory crisis

Malta’s Minister for Home Affairs and Security met with ministers from Italy, Cyprus and Greece in Rome to discuss irregular migration and regional coordination. The focus of the meeting was to develop shared strategies to prevent a potential migratory crisis linked to current geopolitical instability in the Middle East. 

According to a press release from the Maltese government, the ministers emphasised the need to disrupt smuggling networks and highlighted concerns related to the presence of NGOs in maritime areas which would serve as a pull factor for irregular migration from North Africa. They agreed on additional priorities, including combating the abuse of asylum systems, promoting assisted voluntary returns and strengthening the EU's external border protection. The ministers also agreed on the establishment of a network of national contact points tasked with preventing irregular migratory flows and enabling rapid, coordinated responses during migration-related emergencies.