Mediterranean ministers urge EU to 'deepen' ties to tackle migration roots

The interior ministers of Italy, Spain, Greece and Malta from five Mediterranean nations on Saturday urged the EU to deepen bilateral agreements with migrant countries of origin and increase funding to tackle the root causes of migration.
In the meeting, the ministers discussed the new migration and asylum pact adopted by the EU parliament on 11 April. Years in the making, the deal involves a sweeping reform of the bloc's asylum policies that will both harden border procedures while forcing all 27 nations to share responsibility for migrant arrivals. The reform was spurred by the massive influx of migrants in 2015, with its provisions taking effect in 2026.