'Need to destroy traffickers' cynical business model' says Von der Leyen

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 23 - It is necessary to "crack down on traffickers" and "destroy their cynical business model", European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said during the international conference on migration and development underway in Rome.
    "Opening up new legal routes between our continents can create a real and safe alternative to dangerous journeys at sea," she added.
    "In the EU we are working to promote resettlement and humanitarian admission. We must join forces to dismantle the cruel and illegal business model of criminals and make people aware of the lies that traffickers spread," she said.
    The Commission president also said the recent EU agreement with Tunisia "to be a model, a project for the future, for partnerships with other countries in the region".
    "We want to adopt a pragmatic approach based on shared interests and common values. We want to find solutions tailored to local realities," she added. (ANSA).