This story is free to read.

EU looks to beef up border agency to confront migrant influx

Rescuers help children to disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Pozzallo, Italy, early Monday, April 20, 2015. About 100 migrants, including 28 children, were rescued on Sunday by a merchant vessel in the Sicilian Strait while they were trying to cross. Another smuggler's boat crammed with hundreds of people overturned off Libya's coast on Saturday as rescuers approached, causing what could be the Mediterranean's deadliest known migrant tragedy and intensifying pressure on the European Union Sunday to finally meet demands for decisive action. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Rescuers help children to disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Pozzallo, Italy, early Monday, April 20, 2015. About 100 migrants, including 28 children, were rescued on Sunday by a merchant vessel in the Sicilian Strait while they were trying to cross. Another smuggler's boat crammed with hundreds of people overturned off Libya's coast on Saturday as rescuers approached, causing what could be the Mediterranean's deadliest known migrant tragedy and intensifying pressure on the European Union Sunday to finally meet demands for decisive action. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

By Associated Press April 20, 2015 1 min read

10:15 a.m. (0815 GMT; 4:15. a.m. EDT)

European Union president Latvia is calling on the EU’s executive arm to urgently propose new measures to beef up Europe’s border agency to respond to the migrant emergency in the Mediterranean.

Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis said Monday that the presidency “is committed to facilitate swift adoption of short-term emergency measures once they are proposed.”

Rescuers are combing the waters of the Mediterranean off Libya where hundreds of migrants are thought to have drowned when their boat overturned.

EU foreign and interior ministers are to hold emergency talks in Luxembourg on the crisis later on Monday.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the ministers would discuss whether the 28 EU leaders should hold an emergency summit this week.