5 Med countries push for more solidarity in migrant crisis

By KEVIN SCHEMBRI ORLAND
Associated Press

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Less than a week after a deadly migrant shipwreck off Italy, five EU Mediterranean countries that bear the brunt of migrant smuggling on Saturday pushed back against their northern neighbors for not accepting asylum-seekers under a voluntary scheme. Greek migration minister, Notis Mitarachi, told reporters that just 1% of the 2022 migrant arrivals in the so-called frontline countries along the EU’s southern border had been accepted by other member states under a voluntary program.  According to the UN refugee agency, arrivals by sea were up 30% last year to over 160,000.