Several Mediterranean nations, including Malta, said last week that the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, needs to work inside third countries to stop smugglers from endangering the lives of migrants by sending them off to Europe on risky boat trips, a report by the Associated Press read.

It reported that top officials from Spain, Greece, Italy, Malta and Cyprus — who receive most migrant arrivals from the bloc’s southern and southeastern borders — said that they’ll float the idea to EU leaders later this month to set up asylum application centres in neighbouring countries, from which successful applicants can safely reach Europe.

There is a tragedy occurring in the Mediterranean, as migrants making the perilous journey end up losing their lives.

Malta has been criticised for the hard stance it has often taken. One can understand that as a small island nation, we have limited resources and space, however, at the same time we must still prioritise saving lives.

The idea of setting up asylum application centres, as in countries neighbouring Europe, might not be a bad one. This way, at least some asylum seekers seeking refuge from war, terror or persecution might have a safer way of reaching Europe.

Setting up such centres might help, at least slightly, in reducing the number of asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean on untrustworthy boats which put their lives in danger.

At the same time, this will not be enough. Realistically speaking, there still needs to be more solidarity between EU states, both when it comes to the rescuing of migrants making the journey, but also when it comes to housing them.

But even if we manage to, by some miracle, have all asylum seekers apply for asylum before they attempt to risk their lives in the crossing, economic migrants will probably still attempt to cross.

People who make such crossings do so because they are desperate, because they feel that they have no choice. Nobody would put their lives in such danger for no reason. We must all understand this.

The arguments that economic migrants arriving irregularly have no right to live in Malta, and no right to stay in the country, will always be made on social media. And if they are not eligible for protection, then they will be returned. However, they do not deserve to lose their lives just for seeking a better life. The migrants making the crossing are just trying to build a better life for themselves, and should not be condemned to death at sea. This is why better rescue efforts in the Mediterranean are needed.

If we really want to curb irregular economic migration, then we also need to help improve the economies and job prospects in the countries that they are coming from. It will take more than just Malta to do that. Of course, eradicating possible corruption in those countries would also need to be a priority. It would not just be a question of providing aid, but where a serious plan to help them build the tools needed to succeed would also be required.