Malta summit: Action needed on refugee crisis

AS if to remind delegates at the two-day summit of African and European leaders in Malta that it was called because 800 refugees drowned when a rogue ship sank, at least 14 more people, including seven children, desperately trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos, drowned yesterday when a boat sank off Turkey’s Aegean coast. Hopefully, the symbolism will bring a greater sense of realism to these deliberations.

The objective of the meeting, attended by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, is to reduce the veritable tsunami of people risking their lives to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean. Sadly, thousands of lives have already been lost. While many are fleeing the war zones of the Middle East and Africa, others are leaving their homes because of starvation caused directly by global warming.

With €4bn on the table as a sweetener, it is crucial to guard against the kind of corruption associated with some African states. And those who dismiss global warming should at least heed the latest warnings of its predicted impact on coastal communities here in Ireland.