Italy's prime minister Mario Draghi appealed on Thursday for European Union funds amid a dramatic surge in Mediterranean migration this year that has gained pace as the weather warms.
"We need economic intervention from the whole of the European Union," Draghi told a press conference in Rome.
"We need bilateral cooperation from countries of origin but also multilateral cooperation between the EU and countries of origin," Draghi went on.
"The United Nations also has a role to play," Draghi added.
In earlier remarks, Draghi said he would push for a rapid resumption of "dormant" EU negotiations on a mechanism to relocate migrants within the 27-member bloc at Monday's European Council meeting.
EU heads of state and government "absolutely must reach an agreement," he stated.
More than three times as many migrants have landed in Italy this year (over 13,300) compared with 2020 (some 4,400) according to interior ministry data.
