Frontex patrol missions in the vicinity of Malta, which have been undertaken albeit in a short-lived fashion over this and last summer, are to become a permanent fixture come January, European Commission vice-president Franco Frattini pledged yesterday.
The missions, Mr Frattini explained, have proved themselves a significant deterrent against human trafficking, with Malta’s migrant flows having dropped “tremendously” since patrols began at the end of June after having peaked in the previous week.
Although Mr Frattini did concede it might still be early to judge the effectiveness of this summer’s patrols, further credence was lent to their power as a deterrent by the fact that the market price of a trans-Mediterranean passage had dropped from $1,000 to $250 per person in the week before the Frontex Nautilus II mission being led by Malta began.
Mr Frattini expressed the view that traffickers and potential migrants are following news from countries such as Malta and Italy and are taking note of when Frontex missions are to take place so as to organise their activities around the missions.
Mr Frattini also pointed out that traffickers have become increasingly aware of the patrols’ capacity to spot them from the air. This year, he said, they have taken to using dark grey and blue boats, as opposed to the mainly white vessels used previously, so as to camouflage their presence.
Mr Frattini – also the EU’s Commissioner for Justice, Security and Freedom – announced that as a result of the patrols’ potential constituting against human traffickers, a “firm decision” has been taken to make the Nautilus mission in the central Mediterranean and the Hera mission in the Atlantic permanent as from January.
Speaking aboard the Armed Forces of Malta flagship P-61 patrol vessel, which met with other Frontex patrol vessels at sea and had flyovers by a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft yesterday morning, Mr Frattini congratulated Malta for leading the Frontex Nautilus II patrol mission.
“It is very important to see, concretely, how a mission operates and it is also very clear that Malta cannot patrol such an enormous area on its own,” he commented.
Yesterday’s two-hour patrol, amid rough, force five to six seas, was Mr Frattini’s first visit to a Frontex sea patrol and he repeated his appeal for other EU member states to live up to their commitments of vessels and aircraft for the Frontex missions.
A question mark still hangs over the paltry contributions from member states despite their pledges and commitments.
Malta has been leading the Nautilus II mission currently under way with three patrol boats and a fixed-wing aircraft.
A Greek patrol vessel is assisting for some 12 days and will be replaced by a Spanish vessel for roughly another week. France will be contributing another vessel, while Germany has contributed two helicopters and, as a sign of goodwill, has also offered to resettle any migrants rescued by its helicopters. Italy, meanwhile, has pitched in the services of one fixed-wing aircraft.
Mr Frattini, however, cites written commitments from 19 member states for the supply of patrol vessels and aircraft to equip Frontex missions – commitments he will be calling in for the establishment of permanent missions.
Such commitments, he added, were formal pledges from EU interior ministers that will be expected to be lived up to.
Mr Frattini admitted he was “disappointed” by the contribution of his own country, Italy, to Nautilus II and said he will insist with the Italian government to give an additional contribution to the mission.
Another area of ambiguity lies in the fact that many member states confuse the concept of burden sharing in terms of patrolling a search and rescue area with burden sharing in terms of the resettlement of migrants.
“These are two totally different situations,” he stressed.
“Many countries are reluctant over the legal consequences of rescuing those in distress at sea, but the fact that a ship from a member state rescues migrants does not mean that member state is obliged to take them in.”
He added that a number of member states are, in theory, ready to discuss resettlement burden sharing and the EU was also ready to finance such integration of refugees into these countries.
Mr Frattini added that while Malta has had voluntary assistance from certain member states that have resettled small groups of Malta’s migrants, “we have to do more”.
Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg yesterday described talks with Mr Frattini as fruitful, adding that discussions had turned to Malta’s recent modest burden-sharing proposals to EU interior ministers.
The way forward in a manner acceptable to other EU member states had been discussed but, Dr Borg admitted, “It will be a long road”.
A temporary experiment in burden sharing over the duration of a Frontex operation was another plausible idea discussed.
Dr Borg said he was pleased with the contributions of Greece, Spain and Germany to the patrol mission despite the fact they are not necessarily affected by migration patterns in the central Mediterranean, adding, “although we had expected more from other member states.”
On the proposed changes to Dublin II, which have so far been resisted by a number of member states, Mr Frattini commented, “So far burden sharing has been on a voluntary basis between individual countries. We need to introduce a new system and with the new Council voting system (a system based on majority as opposed to unanimity) we are confident of finding the support we need.”
The Portuguese EU presidency has also put the EU’s migration as a first priority during its semester at the helm of the EU, which, Mr Frattini augured, bodes well for the proposed EU common migration policy.
Mr Frattini also paid heed to the fact that the EU’s Rapid Border Intervention Teams will become effective in the first week of August.
The reaction force comprises a pool of some 300-400 experts in interpretation, identification and medical treatment available through a request from a member state facing severe difficulties within five days’ notice.
Apart from resettlement, a credible repatriation policy has also been wanting and to this effect, Mr Frattini announced fresh funds to the tune of EUR7 million had been found for repatriation flights.
A tender will be launched in the coming days to determine the best means of going about it.
Two such repatriation programmes have already been identified for Malta and Mr Frattini confirmed the EU was ready to pay and discharge funding for the two missions.
“We must attach the greatest importance to rescue operations for people in distress, but we also have to be credible.
“We have to organise repatriations while at the same time guaranteeing protection for those who warrant such protection.
“Those who are deserving must be acknowledged as refugees, but we must also repatriate all irregular migrants on EU territory.”
On the pressing issue of Libyan cooperation in irregular migration, Mr Frattini warned that while matters appear to be progressing to a certain extent, he warned: “be sure that the situation will not change overnight.”
Libya, he said, is a key partner in the Mediterranean and has agreed to engage in a bilateral dialogue with the EU on the migration issue.
The EU has also financed and set up a project overseeing the repatriation of irregular migrants in Libya to their countries of origin.
Five hundred such irregular migrants, who could potentially be plotting a perilous course across the Mediterranean, have been repatriated through the programme over the last few months alone.
The EU and Libya are also looking at ways to expand the programme, run through the UNHCR, and at cooperation in patrolling the country’s expansive desert borders.
“The EU,” he adds, “cannot impose anything on Libya. It is the only Mediterranean state not involved in the Barcelona Process.
Mr Frattini held a series of talks yesterday including those with President Eddie Fenech Adami, Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg.
In addition to the Frontex patrol, Mr Frattini also visited the police headquarters and the AFM’s rescue control centre, and is in Malta in connection with the European Peoples’ Party study days conference in Malta, which wraps up today.