Leaders of southern EU states tried to develop a common political and economic stance ahead of an EU summit. Migration was one issue on the agenda, with a call for rescue ships to give way to the Libyan coast guard.
Italy has allowed 10 rescued migrants on the Sea-Watch 3 to leave the vessel. Two pregnant women and two sick men are among those who have been given permission to disembark.
The Maltese government has announced the creation of a special unit to fight the illegal exploitation of non-EU workers in the Maltese archipelago, which is on the rise due to the country's economic boom.
Italian authorities have arrested four people on suspicion of human trafficking and aiding prostitution. The arrests also lead to the dismantling of the group that was allegedly operating in Nigeria, Libya and Italy.
It's been one year since Italy announced it was closing its ports to humanitarian vessels. Since then, at least 1,151 men, women and children have been reported dead while over 10,000 have been forcibly taken back to Libya and expos1