Irregular migration in the Mediterranean: four key principles for solving the crisis

With over 1,000 migrants in the Mediterranean feared dead following a series of incidents in recent weeks, EU Foreign and Interior Ministers agreed on an action plan on 20 April for addressing the crisis. Anna Triandafyllidou writes on the factors underpinning the problem and outlines four key elements that a new strategic approach should consist of: strengthening the EU’s search and rescue capabilities, enlisting the support of neighbouring countries, tackling the smuggling networks active in the region, and reforming the system that assigns responsibility for asylum seekers between EU states.