Greek Prime Minister Kiliakos Mitotakis said on Thursday that Libya should work with Greece and Europe to stop the surge in moving currents from North Africa.
The arrival of the seaborne of European immigrants from northern Africa, including war-torn Sudan, and the Middle East have skyrocketed in recent months.
Greece said on Monday that it would deploy two frigates and another ship from the waters of Libyan territory to prevent migrants from reaching Crete and Gabdos's southern island.
“We will inform our colleagues of a significant increase in the number of people in eastern Libya and seek support from the European Commission so that we can quickly address the issue,” Mitotakis said ahead of the European Union summit in Brussels that began Thursday.
Mitsotakis said Libyan authorities should work with Greece to either stop migrants sailing from there or turn them back before leaving the seas of Libyan territory.
He added that EU immigration commissioners and ministers from Italy, Greece and Malta will travel to Libya in early July to discuss the issue.
In Libya, law and order have been weak since the 2011 uprising that overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Reuters
