More security but no solidarity

At an October 8 meeting in Luxembourg, which was partly devoted to the question of immigration in the wake of the recent tragedy in Lampedusa, EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers decided to reinforce protection of the EU's external borders and to improve procedures for processing refugees, while clamping down on the networks that smuggle people into the EU, reports Il Manifesto.

Headlining with "On the Frontex", the paper reports that the EU agency responsible for border management, Frontex, has decided to award Italy an additional €2m to deal with immigration flows. As of December 2, Frontex will also be able to take advantage of Eurosur, a surveillance system aimed at reducing the number of illegal immigrants and improving sea rescue operations. Funds for Eurosur will total €340m by 2020.

However, the 28 Member States, and in particular Germany, rejected Italy's request for greater solidarity in the distribution of the refugees among member states – as well as its call for a review of European immigration regulations, notes German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

In another response to the recent tragedy, notes Il Manifesto, EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, traveled to Lampedusa on October 9, accompanied by Italian President Enrico Letta and his Home Affairs Minister, Angelino Alfano. On arrival, they were greeted by protesting residents of the island, who say they have been left on their own to face the waves of migrants arriving on the shores of the island.