EU border agency Frontex needs still more resources from member states to cope with the peak summer migration flows, despite the promising contributions made so far.
“After the European Council’s meeting, Frontex has launched the call for contribution of additional technical equipment,” a Frontex spokeswoman told Times of Malta.
“The response is positive but Frontex still needs more commitment from the member states to cover the peak summer season.”
Maritime patrols in the Mediterranean and search-and-rescue missions are being beefed up considerably, with countries such as Britain, Germany and Ireland pitching in with military vessels.
A total of 25 member states are taking part in the EU’s border control operation Triton, deploying experts and equipment that includes patrol boats, aircraft and helicopters. In an emergency summit last month, EU nations agreed to triple the funding for Operation Triton.
The spokeswoman said that, even while the agency waits for the additional budget from the European Commission, Frontex has already intensified its deployment using its own budgetary reserves.
An additional offshore patrol vessel from France is already in Italy, while other assets are in the process of being integrated in the operation.
The current levels of deployment for this month comprise Finnish, Icelandic and Maltese aircraft; Icelandic, French and Italian offshore patrol vessels (the latter financed by Frontex) and 10 coastal patrol vessels and boats (a mix of British, Maltese and Italian).
Britain has deployed the Royal Navy’s flagship, the HMS Bulwark, which rescued over 100 migrants in its first mission on Thursday.
Germany has deployed two navy ships – combat support ship Berlin and the frigate Hessen – which rescued nearly 400 migrants during their first operation on Friday.
The two German vessels do not form part of Operation Triton. The Frontex spokeswoman explained that since Frontex was a civilian organisation, all assets deployed in an operation coordinated by the agency have to operate under the command and control of the country hosting the operation – in case of Operation Triton, the Italian Ministry of the Interior (which is a civilian body).
The deployment of military vessels in a civilian operation is subject to the national legislation of the individual member states. Some countries allow for a civilian border guard representative to be present on board and to operate under the civilian command (such as France and Portugal) while others do not.
Meanwhile, Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said on Saturday that Ireland was the latest country to answer pleas to help Italy save migrant lives in the Mediterranean, having sent a patrol boat.
International humanitarian organisations are also helping to expand the flotilla of rescue vessels.
Doctors Without Borders is adding a second ship to conduct search and rescue operations. The vessel, the Bourbon Argos, carries a crew of 26, including emergency medical workers.
Its first ship, the MY Phoenix, is operated jointly with the Migrant Offshore Aid Station, or Moas, which is based in Malta.
Sea Watch, set up by German entrepreneur Harold Hoeppner, will become the second search-and-rescue ship based in Malta when it launches later this month.
Italy has said that it cannot handle the crisis on its own, having welcomed over 31,000 migrants since January this year.
British Prime Minister David Cameron made it clear when he announced HMS Bulwark’s deployment to the Mediterranean that migrants rescued by British ships would have no automatic right to asylum in the UK.
The EU has proposed that member countries should adopt a quota system for sharing the burden of resettling migrants from Africa and the Middle East.
But the plan met stiff resistance on Friday, particularly from countries in eastern Europe.
Slovakia, Hungary and Estonia have all publicly declared their opposition to the implementation of such a scheme.
The EU’s new migration policy is expected to be unveiled by the European Commission on Wednesday.