The European Union must show solidarity over the ongoing influx of migrants to the bloc but this "is never unilateral and must be at the least bilateral," European Commission president-elect Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.
"It is essential to guarantee solidarity, but this can never be unilateral and must be at the least bilateral," von der Leyen told reporters ahead of talks in Rome with Italy's premier Giuseppe Conte.
Malta and Italy, two frontline countries, have been pressuring other EU states to shoulder a fairer share of the Mediterranean migrant burden but have had limited success in getting the bloc to agree a formal mechanism to relocate asylum-seekers.
Although arrivals to Italy have declined sharply this year, over 750,000 migrants have in Italy since 2014. Since taking office in June last year, hardline interior minister Matteo Salvini has closed Italy's ports to migrant rescue ships, has introduced hefty fines for boats that enter its waters without permission and has said he wants to deport half a million illegal immigrants.
Salvini, who has vowed there will be "zero" migration to Italy, has also left hundreds of migrants stuck aboard rescue vessels for many days and refused to allow them ashore until other EU states agreed to take them in.
