The European Union's top official said today that the bloc's African neighbours -- several rocked by unrest -- ought to "cooperate further" in fighting irregular migration.

"We will need to develop new or improved partnerships with the countries in our southern neighbourhood," European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said on visit to Greece, one of several EU states facing a migration surge.

"They will have to cooperate further on fighting irregular migration and trafficking in human beings and on return and readmission," Van Rompuy said.

"Measures within the EU are not sufficient," he added.

Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta are bearing the brunt of migration pressure from north Africa, and the political unrest that has rocked Tunisia, Egypt and Libya in recent months has raised fears of an even greater influx.

Italy in particular has stepped up appeals for help to Brussels after being swamped with Tunisian refugees.

More than 25,000 migrants have arrived on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa in fishing boats from north Africa since the start of the year and most have been moved to detention centres on the Italian mainland.

The European Council will discuss the issue at its next meeting on June 24, Van Rompuy said.

"Migration, asylum and border management... are high on our political agenda because of ongoing developments in our southern neighbourhood and in the Middle East, but also for internal reasons," he said.

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