Labour MEP Miriam Dalli has written to the UN’s envoy leading peace talks in Libya requesting him to include migration in the ongoing talks and to place the issue at the top of the agenda of a National Unity government in Libya.

Her initiative was supported by another 64 MEPs including Alfred Sant and Marlene Mizzi.

Dr Dalli said “the momentum developing in the last few days on the issue must not be allowed to fade away”.

The letter, to Bernardino Leon, asks for measures to control people traffickers and stop the deaths in the Mediterranean to be directly cited in discussions and for these issues to form an integral part of the peace treaty itself, so that those involved with be bound to take action on the matter.

A similar letter was also sent to the vice-president of the European Commission Federica Mogherini who is also the European Union highest representative for Foreign Affairs. Dr Dalli and the other MEPs are appealing to Commissioner Mogherini as a top EU diplomat to ensure that migration formed part of the solution for Libya.

'I am very satisfied that this initiative has found the support of 64 MEPs, who come from the six biggest groups in the EP. This clearly indicates that we are creating an awareness among MEPs so that the situation that we are continuously facing in the Mediterranean is urgently addressed' Dr Dalli said.

EU 10-point migration action plan 'too vague'

On the EU’s 10-point migration action plan, Dr Dalli, a standing member of the Parliamentary Committee on Immigration, said that the points raised were far too vague, lacked detail and specific timelines.

"The plan needs to be far more specific. One example is that while one proposal suggests that the EU Triton rescue and search area is extended, there is no indication as to how far this should go. It is also disappointing that the ten point plan makes no mention of any changes to The Dublin Treaty whereby immigrants are forced to remain in the country where they embark. These countries are logically the countries on the frontier with North Africa. On the other hand, the insistence on targeting human traffickers is very positive," Dr Dalli said.

She hoped that the urgent summit on Thursday would produce more detailed information and more courageous decisions.