RABAT, Morocco, July 12 (UPI) -- European and African officials, meeting in Morocco, have agreed to a series of joint measures to stem the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe.
The plan includes 67 recommendations that combine tougher border security with incentives to tackle the poverty and violence that fuel the immigration, the EUobserver reported.
"Fortunately, for the first time, there is a consensus," European Union Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said Tuesday. He stressed, though, immigration "will be the first challenge for Europe in the years to come."
The meeting marked the first time ministers from African and European countries jointly sought to tackle the problem of illegal immigrants, which has become a major issue in Europe.
More than 9,500 immigrants have landed in Spain's Canary Islands this year, which is double last year's total, the EUobserver said. More than 1,000 illegal immigrants have landed on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta -- an island with an overall population of only 400,000.
