Brussels, 09/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 9 October, Italy's Minister for Foreign Affairs Angelino Alfano, was pleased to announce in Luxembourg that he had received the support of “a large group of member states” to launch the Triton operation that is led by the Frontex agency, and that should enable the Italian authorities to abandon their Mare Nostrum operation. The number of countries joining the Triton operation was nevertheless unknown on Thursday, but this new mission - which will start at the beginning of November - will not, however, replace Mare Nostrum, which has saved thousands of lives and which is also critical for illegal immigration. In Alfano's view, implementing Triton will mean the end of Mare Nostrum. “We said that Mare Nostrum would come to an end when Europe played its role - and with Triton, it's playing its role”, Alfano stated (our translation).
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström again called on the member states for solidarity, asking the member countries that are not yet doing so - “half of them” - to proceed to the resettlement of refugees blocked in countries neighbouring the conflict zones, or to proceed to the refugees' relocation, thus relieving certain member countries. Malmström also called for a better allocation of asylum seekers between the 28 EU member states, as currently five member states are taking the lion's share of them in Europe - Germany, France, the UK, Sweden and Italy. (SP)