Malta will be taking a hard line at next week’s EU summit in Brussels when Italy is expected to demand that the EU Border Control Agency (Frontex) takes over responsibility for rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.

Facing increasing demands by the opposition to end operation Mare Nostrum – as many are arguing the county cannot afford it – Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will be formally asking the EU to take over the operation.

Sources close to the Italian government told Times of Malta that Mr Renzi is expected to present a plan for Frontex to take over the duties of Mare Nostrum.

Although it is not known yet whether Malta has been involved in the drafting of this plan, the island is expected to give its full backing to the Italian proposal.

“We are obviously in favour of the continuation of Mare Nostrum and would be giving our full support so that the EU steps in and makes a concrete contribution towards the saving of lives in the Mediterranean,” Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella told Times of Malta.

The fact that from July Italy is in the EU’s driving seat makes the proposal more attainable in the short-term

Although he conceded that the Mare Nostrum mission might also be serving as a pull factor, as many migrants heading for Europe might feel safer, he said that the operation has had a positive effect on Malta.

“We think that the mission should continue but it’s not fair that Italy should be bearing the brunt. We have been insisting on more EU action and Italy will have our full backing once again next week.”

The Foreign Minister said that the EU should be acting much faster in this area and that Malta was not satisfied with the work of the taskforce for the Mediterranean set up last year to come up with a set of concrete proposals to help countries like Malta deal with irregular immigration.

Although so far repeated demands from Malta and Italy have fallen on deaf ears as many member states, particularly Nordic ones, do not feel the need to intervene directly and prefer to give priority to other issues, many observers feel that this might be the right time to force the EU’s hand.

“Italy’s proposal next week is a concrete step and comes a few weeks before the country takes over the Presidency of the EU,” an EU official told Times of Malta.

“The fact that from July Italy is in the EU’s driving seat makes the proposal more attainable in the short-term,” he said,

Operation Mare Nostrum – conducted by Italy’s armed forces – started last October in the wake of a massive tragedy off Lampedusa when hundreds of irregular migrants drowned when crossing over from Libya.

Since then, the mission has saved some 50,000 migrants.

At the same time, the mission has had a positive effect on Malta as the number of migrants reaching the island’s shores has dwindled to almost nothing.

However, Italy has been complaining it cannot continue supporting such a mission alone as apart from the pressure on its resources, it is also costing the country some €9 million a month.

Although the EU has been granting financial support to Italy, this is far from adequate.

At the same time, no other EU member states, with the exception of Slovenia, have agreed to contribute to the mission through assets or personnel.

According to the latest predictions by Frontex, irregular immigration from North Africa is expected to continue to increase.