Italy and Libya have signed a technical and operational protocol to fight illegal migration by sea, according to the Italian media.

The agreement was signed by Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni and Libyan minister Abdelfattah Younis Farag Al Obeidi.

The two ministers reiterated the need for the European Union to allocate greater funding and show stronger political commitment to countries which suffer an influx of migration either on transit or as a destination.

Italy has been repatriating to Libya all migrants rescued in international waters, leading to a drastic drop in migrant arrivals in Italy and Malta.

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