Europe needs strong will to tackle migrants: Australian minister

By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Australia's tough policies have stopped migrants reaching the country by boat and Europe will need strong will to tackle boat migrants in the Mediterranean, Australia's foreign minister said on Friday. Julie Bishop said NATO ambassadors had discussed the thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East taking to dangerous, overcrowded vessels to try to reach Europe, during a meeting in Brussels she took part in on Friday. The Australian government has been criticized at home and abroad for its tough immigration policies, which include turning back refugee boats and sending asylum seekers to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, where they face long periods of detention. "There is nothing humanitarian, there is nothing merciful about criminal networks luring people to their deaths by putting them on unseaworthy boats," Bishop told journalists. "We offer our experience," she added. "It is for individual governments and regions to determine what they believe will work, but it will require significant political will." Four days after up to 900 people drowned trying to reach Europe from Libya, EU leaders agreed on Thursday to triple the size of the naval search mission in the Mediterranean. Australia had refused to consider asylum requests from people who paid smugglers to take them to Australia, Bishop said. "Under a military commander, we adopted policies and initiatives across government to send the very strong message that we would not accept people who pay people-smugglers," she said. "The statistics speak for themselves. In 2013, 300 boats sought to make their way to Australia carrying 20,000 people. We are aware that there have been 1,200 deaths at sea with people seeking to come to Australia via the people-smuggling trade. "Since January 2014, no boats have reached Australia and there have been no deaths at sea," she said. (Editing by Andrew Roche)