Lampedusa Crisis: EU must not be 'blind' to migrant surge, Italian PM says

Italian leader Giorgia Meloni has demanded Brussels step up to help her country deal with a surge in migrants.

The country's Prime Minister said it was not a question of "solidarity" but the European Union's "responsibility" to assist - after more than 11,000 people arrived on Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa in less than a week, overwhelming the authorities and sparking protests by residents.

She made her comments as she was joined on the island for crisis talks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who insisted "we are in this together".