article: EU leaders have agreed a package of measures to tackle the escalating migrant crisis in the Mediterranean – with pledges to send in warships and triple funding for rescue patrols. After years of dithering, an emergency EU summit yesterday agreed to lay the groundwork for military action against traffickers after the deaths of some 1,700 refugees in the last week alone. Within days, British warship HMS Bulwark and the German supply ship Berlin are expected to be sent to the region in the biggest sign of the European Union's belated commitment to the cause. Prime Minister David Cameron, who is two weeks from a national election in which immigration is a major issue, stressed that Britain was not planning to bring any more migrants back to the UK. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose country has been faced with almost daily tragedy as rescuers pluck bodies from the sea, called the EU measures 'a giant step forward.' But other EU leaders were less optimistic, with Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat, saying the assets being proposed would 'never be enough' to address the problem. 'A giant step forward': Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi speaks after EU leaders agreed a package of measures to tackle the growing migrant crisis including extra military and a tripling of funding for patrols . Jovial: Danish Prime minister Helle Thorning Schmidt and her British counterpart David Cameron embrace before posing for a family photo during a European Union leaders summit in Brussels . The pledge of resources came as victims of the worst-ever migrant disaster in the Mediterranean were buried Thursday in Malta. Two dozen wooden caskets containing the only bodies recovered from a weekend capsizing off Libya that left at least 800 migrants feared dead were laid out for a memorial service. None of the bodies was identified: One casket had 'No 132' scrawled on it, referring to the number of the DNA sample taken from the corpse in case a relative ever comes to claim it. For several years as death tolls mounted, EU leaders have done little more than deplore the loss of lives and mark tragedies with moments of silence and wreaths instead of fundamental action. When Libya disintegrated politically after the overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi and unrest spread in neighboring countries, Europe failed to take forceful action. Yesterday, EU leaders pledged to do more, committing at least nine vessels to monitor the waters for traffickers and intervene in case of need. Other member states, from France to Latvia, also lined up more ships, planes and helicopters that could be used to rescue migrants. The member states agreed to triple funding to €9million (£7m) a month for the EU's border operation that patrols the Mediterranean. Seek and destroy: Britain will send one of its biggest warships, HMS Bulwark (above), to the Mediterranean within days as part of plans to targets boats used by human traffickers . Escalating crisis: A migrant is stretchered off to hospital by the Italian Red Cross at the port of Salerno after being rescued by the tanker Chimera along with 545 other refugees in the Mediterranean . They also assigned EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to line up the diplomatic options that would allow EU militaries to strike against the boats used by traffickers. Officials said the lack of a strong Libyan government would likely make UN backing necessary. 'Leaders have already pledged significantly greater support, including many more vessels, aircraft and experts' than had been anticipated before the summit, EU President Donald Tusk said. Despite the sudden deluge of goodwill, huge questions remained about whether it would be enough to defeat the smugglers and human traffickers. 'Right now, it's a question of fixing yesterday's errors,' French President Francois Hollande said. He said the EU would hold a summit in Malta with African countries by this summer to see how the continents can work together to better deal with a crisis that has grown dramatically in recent years. In contrast to the Italian premier, the head of another Mediterranean nation on the frontline of the tragedies was far less enthusiastic. For tiny Malta, the smallest EU member state with a population of 450,000, the summit produced nothing particularly new, apart from a fresh resolve to break up the smuggling networks. The assets being proposed 'will never be enough,' Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat said. 'It is definitely not enough if the numbers that are being communicated about prospective migratory flows are anything to go by.' On the offensive: EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (pictured) has been assigned to line up the diplomatic options that would allow EU militaries to strike against the boats used by traffickers . In the past week alone, more than 10,000 people have been plucked from the seas between Italy and Libya as desperate migrants fleeing war and poverty threw their lot in with smugglers who charged up to $2,000 for a spot on overcrowded boats to make the perilous crossing. At least 1,300 people have died in April alone, putting 2015 on track to be the deadliest year ever. Ending that is Europe's main challenge. Even optimists say any measures agreed at Thursday's summit would not fully stem the tide of unstable ships crossing the Mediterranean. But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte insisted that Europe should not take the brunt of blame. 'We also ask that Africa, the source of the problem, also collectively takes up its responsibility,' Rutte said. 'Last time I checked Libya was in Africa, not Europe.' German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande arrive at an EU emergency summit in Brussels seeking a solution to the migrants crisis . Over the past year, what little political structure Libya had has collapsed. There are two rival governments, neither with any real authority, and each fighting the other on the ground. Local militias hold sway around the country, some of them with hard-line Islamist ideologies, and the Islamic State group has emerged as a strong and brutal force. The makes any military action against traffickers there even more complicated. 'Any kind of military action can only be based on international law,' said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 'There are two possibilities: either a U.N. Security Council Resolution or a unity government in Libya. We have neither at the moment.' Europe itself was hardly a picture of unity when it came to the difficult issue of resettling migrants. Countries like Germany, Sweden, France and Italy have dealt with a disproportionate number of asylum requests while many eastern and Baltic member states take hardly any. Five of the 28 member states are handling almost 70 per cent of the migrants coming in. Still, despite the differences, Finland's prime minister Alexander Stubb was hopeful that this time Europe could put up a show of solidarity. 'I hope we'll get it right this time,' he said.
highlights: Funding increased to £7m a month for EU's border patrols in Mediterranean .
  Plans lined up for EU militaries to strike against boats used by traffickers .
  British warship and German supply ship heading to the region within days .
  Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called measures 'a giant step forward'
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