Mediterranean is our frontier too ... we have a duty to help

THE sight of thousands of desperate migrants crossing the Mediterranean this past week — with more than a thousand drowning in the attempt — has once again led to a universal cry that “something must be done”. EU ministers will once again review the options to stop the traffic today.

But whatever they come up with, it will be very short-term — a plaster on a deep, gaping wound . The Italian and Maltese prime ministers want European allies to help with naval patrols across the strategic central Mediterranean, and for measures to thwart the traffickers trading in the death voyages.

But this is only a part of the story. What we are now seeing in the refugee traffic into Europe from across the Mediterranean — and it isn’t just from Libya — is part of a trend that has been growing for more than 30 years.

Each crisis in the deeper neighbourhood pushes more to seek the better life in Europe —and nothing suggests this will stop soon.

Britain has a role and a voice in this, as Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has recognised, because Britain is the ultimate destination of many of those making desperate passage from Libya now. We are all in this together. The Mediterranean is our frontier as well.

What is required is a comprehensive strategic approach, which will involve security and stabilisation policies for parts of Libya and the mafia ports of Turkey, Syria and Tunisia beside.

But then of course the Europe of Merkel, Hollande and Cameron doesn’t like doing strategy and long-term security programmes overmuch. But surely the UK can make a start by devoting at least something of its whacking great overseas aid budget to this enterprise.

In the end the Mediterranean will be seen as a vital to our security — but despite the horrific i mage s f ro m Lampedusa this weekend, that will only come later rather than sooner.