Through Malta's cooperation with Libya, "we managed to avoid a huge crisis," a statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo read.

He said, however, that the urgent and long-term problems still need to be resolved.

Bartolo delivered his speech to a board dedicated to migration within the Med Forum 2020, in a conference with the participation of the Italian Interior Minister, Luciana Lamorgese.

"No country, no matter how big, can unilaterally solve the problem of irregular migration," said Bartolo, let alone a small country like Malta where tourism accounts for 30% of its economy. He explained that in terms of proportionality, one thousand irregular immigrants arriving in Malta are equivalent to one million arrivals in the European Union.

Minister Bartolo explained that this year 2,256 irregular migrants arrived in Malta, and "were it not for the good relations and the strong cooperation with Libya, a further 7,000, who were intercepted thanks to such cooperation, would have reached our shores."

Minister Bartolo said the European Union should support Libya more in order to protect its borders and ports while fighting organized crime and human trafficking. "At the same time, it should increase cooperation with Africa and together with countries of origin, build economic resilience, create jobs, and offer these people a future in their own country, where they are deeply needed."

In this context, Minister Bartolo proposed that the European Union opens more centres in Africa such as those in Rwanda and Niger, and that frequent flights are held to such centres where the applications of irregular migrants are processed.