Q&A: Are there solutions to stop the crisis in the Mediterranean?

The latest tragedy off the Libyan coast - with about 700 migrants drowning after their overcrowded boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea at the weekend - has triggered a chorus of calls for Europe to be much more aggressive in stopping such loss of life.

But finding a solution to the problem - which stems from the limited capacity and funding for European search-and-rescue efforts as well as the civil war that is raging in war-torn Libya where the migrants' sea voyages begin - is proving to be very difficult, for practical and political reasons.

What happened exactly?

According to the account of just 28 survivors of the shipwreck, the 20-metre long fishing boat they were travelling on was about to be rescued by a Portuguese merchant vessel when the migrants began to get agitated, and all moved to one side, forcing it to tip over. It then took about six hours for Italian coast guard vessels to reach the site of the accident, 120 miles south of the island of Lampedusa. If the death toll is confirmed, it would mark the biggest loss of life of its kind - among migrants in the Mediterranean Sea - in one single accident.

Can anything be done to stop the deaths in the short term?

International aid agencies are calling for Italy to immediately relaunch "Mare Nostrum" - an expansive search-and-rescue operation in place between October 2013 and December 2014 which had Italian vessels patrolling the waters of the central Mediterranean up to the edge of the Libyan coast. But that operation was wound down at the end of last year among criticism from other EU countries, and many rightwing and centre-right politicians in Italy, that it simply encouraged more migration. Italy was also worried about the cost of €9m per month - at a time of tight public finances. As Mare Nostrum ended, the EU started a new border control mission known as Triton, but it is only patrolling within 30 miles of the Italian coast, meaning it inevitably takes longer for rescuers to respond to a distress call from migrant boats.

Isn't the source of the problem in Libya?

Yes. Indeed, even if Mare Nostrum or an operation like it could be restored, it would not necessarily spell the end of the emergency.

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Such chaos has been fertile ground for ruthless human traffickers, who often help fund the feuding militias with the cash they receive from migrants looking to make the trip to Europe from all over the Middle East and Africa.

UN-led peace talks are under way, but a deal does not seem within grasp at this point, meaning any improvement in Libya seems far off. And there seems to be no appetite for military intervention in Libya in the absence of a peace agreement between the sides.

Who is to blame?

Finger-pointing has begun in Brussels. The European Commission cannot do much since individual countries are responsible for monitoring their own borders.

This makes life harder for those on the edge of the EU, such as Spain, Greece and Italy. Both Spain and Greece have increased security on their land borders, forcing people to risk the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean. Italy feels like it has been left alone with the burden of rescuing the migrants and caring for them once on land.

While member states have repeatedly called for more action from the European Commission, they have been unwilling to put more money at its disposal.

The commission has told Italy that Operation Triton can have extra funding - beyond the current level of €3m per month - but Italy needs to ask for the extra funds. Yet even if funding for Triton were increased, its ability to rescue migrants might still be limited if its mission remained confined to 30 miles off Italian shores.

How wide are the differences within Europe on how to tackle the crisis?

There are still big differences. Countries such as the UK have repeatedly argued that a comprehensive search and rescue operation encourages more people to make the dangerous trip. Latvia, which holds the presidency of the European Council, said this morning that a "full-fledged" search and operation should be "explored".

The commission itself is set to outline its migration proposals by the end of May, which will focus on dealing with migration at its source. Ideas such as allowing refugees to claim asylum while outside Europe have been floated, while a crackdown on smugglers operating in north Africa is also expected.

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