The tragic events in the Mediterranean have shown us yet again just how crucial it is for Europe’s leaders to take a concrete stand on migration and move on from tweeted condolences and statements to real action at their summit today.

As we bury the victims, the time for action is now. Member States cannot bicker while bodies continue to wash up on our beaches. We must not allow ourselves to become desensitized to the issue. Migration is above all a human issue. Families will never know what happened to their children, parents or loved ones.

We have said never again too many times.

Every state has the moral obligation to save lives. It is not the issue of Italy, Malta or Greece but of every single EU Member State and this message of concrete responsibility sharing must continue to be pushed forward.

The warning signs have been there for years and again in the last months, we have heard warning after warning from NGOs, the UN and the EU’s own agencies that the instability in Libya will mean migration flows will increase across the Mediterranean. It should never have come to this for action to be considered.

The European Commission has acted and now has come up with a 10-point plan. I have seen enough of these statements and plans to remain sceptical. The onus is now on prime ministers to translate this into concrete action today.

We have long been calling for emergency relocation of beneficiaries of international protection and for increased assets to be deployed to the Mediterranean, so I am pleased that these options have been given due consideration.

It is also positive that Frontex operations will extend in scope and operational area. This is necessary to save lives and combat human trafficking, even if I would have preferred to see a greater emphasis on search and rescue obligations and on solidarity.

EU governments have found the funds and the political will to practically eradicate piracy from the Somali coast, but have yet to manage the same commitment to address the migration issue in the Mediterranean with the same vigour. This is a point I have made time and again these last months and I am pleased that it has now also been taken on board by Joseph Muscat.

The message in Malta and in Europe on migration cannot be one of political squabbling but must be one of unity

The message in Malta and in Europe on migration cannot be one of political squabbling but must be one of unity.

While we need to act quickly, migration is not an issue that can be solved by short-term emergency measures. We need to look at the whole picture. This is why it is so important that Italian Socialist MEP Cécile Kyenge and I have launched a cross-party report on migration in the European Parliament.

This is also why it is so important that, together with the commission’s new policy on migration due in May, we look beyond immediate measures and at every aspect of migration and asylum and send a strong message to our citizens that Europe stands with them and will not allow the Mediterranean to continue its descent into a cemetery of broken promises, broken hopes and broken lives.

Our report will take a holistic approach which includes issues such as increased solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility; intensifying our fight against human traffickers; addressing the root causes of migration; looking at the revisions needed to EU legislation; examining systems of safe and legal migration to Europe; improving our return and resettlement policies, as well as better coordination with and humanitarian support for third states. If we ignore any one aspect, we will not reach a solution.

With the ever deteriorating situation in Libya, we must prepare for our systems to again be challenged. We need to be ready to step up to the plate and address them head on while ensuring that our agencies have the resources to deal with the situation.

A stable Libya is crucial. We must stand ready to help the Libyans in the process towards forming a unity government, although this will not happen overnight.

In the meantime, the answer is not fortress Europe. What is happening in the Mediterranean is a direct consequence of what is happening in sub-Saharan Africa and Libya. We need to do more to help the countries in the region get back on their feet and stop the push factor in the long-term. This must be coupled with a fair EU-wide quota or distribution mechanism.

The bottom line in this: immigration and asylum deserve a better, fairer, European response. Prime Ministers have the opportunity to make a real and lasting difference today and they should.

Twitter: @RobertaMetsola

Roberta Metsola is a member of the European Parliament on behalf of the Nationalist Party.