Malta receives a subsidy from the European Refugee Fund to deal with the influx of asylum seekers . The boat was spotted about 80 miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa , another refugee hotspot . Between January and September of last year , 31,000 migrants are believed to have entered the European Union illegally . The EU has pledged €1 billion in aid for refugees this year, but only about half that amount is expected to be spent on humanitarian assistance by countries like Germany or Sweden.
Malta receives a subsidy from the European Refugee Fund to deal with the influx of asylum seekers . Between January and September of last year , 31,000 migrants are believed to have entered the European Union illegally . The EU has pledged €1 billion in aid for refugees this year, but only about half that amount is expected to be spent on humanitarian assistance by countries like Germany or Sweden.