Five European Union countries on the Mediterranean - Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Malta - are calling for more solidarity from fellow EU member states in dealing with migrants.
The countries support negotiations for a European migration and asylum pact, Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said on Saturday after a meeting with her counterparts in Venice.
The aim of the meeting was to find a common position for a new European migration policy. EU members have been arguing for years about how to cooperate on the admission of migrants in the future.
The Mediterranean countries in particular have repeatedly called for more support and redistribution mechanisms, because they are where most migrants arrive.
According to Lamorgese, the Ukraine crisis shows that Europe can stand together to help people fleeing.
"This solidarity must also be established in a redistribution mechanism for migrants," the independent politician said.
Migration crisis
Malta's Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri called for lessons to be learned from the Ukraine crisis.
If the EU does not act now on this migration crisis, it will send the message that it acts differently with other people seeking protection, he said.
The five states also called on the EU to cooperate with transit states and countries of origin to prevent the dangerous Mediterranean crossing of migrants and to work on repatriating people.
