EU demands extra patrols after Lampedusa tragedy

LUXEMBOURG: The European Union’s (EU’s) executive on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) pushed for extra resources to launch Mediterranean-wide search and rescue patrols after the Lampedusa tragedy as Europe struggles to cope with the flood of refugees knocking on its doors.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem went into talks with the bloc’s home affairs ministers saying she would propose “a big Frontex operation right across the Mediterranean from Cyprus to Spain for a big search and rescue operation.”