Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg yesterday criticised delegations who point fingers at Malta’s detention policy and admitted that although these can be improved, the detention centres offer the basics.

Dr Borg, who was speaking during yesterday’s parliamentary session which discussed the second reading of the Refugees Act, said that many European Council delegations visit the detention centres and criticise the government.

“A lot more can be done to improve the situation but they seem to forget that we have been calling on the EU for help. Yes, more investment is needed, but the detention centres offer the basics,” said Dr Borg.

Malta found most help from the US since through a resettlement programme, hundreds of immigrants will find a new home in the US, he said.

The minister pointed out that the criminality rate did not increase with the number of migrants and said that these are not criminals but normal people.

Furthermore, he added, the majority of immigrants come to Malta accidentally and Malta’s EU membership has nothing to do with the increasing numbers.

In 2002, 1,700 refugees landed in Malta; the number decreased in 2003, but from 2004 onwards, around 1,500-1,700 arrive each year, said Dr Borg.

“In 2002, Malta’s EU membership was not an issue. However, now that we are in the EU, we will seek their help,” he said.

Dr Borg said that he worked hard to highlight the problem of irregular migration in the EU. “Now there are special funds that are affected by the problem with over e4 million of EU subsidised projects.”

He called for more burden sharing where resettlement is concerned. “When someone is saved outside our search and rescue area, then burden sharing should come in.”

In her address, Labour MP Justyne Caruana called for a set of guidelines for female migrants that is gender friendly as there are particular types of persecution that a man cannot suffer – for example being forced to have an abortion, or genital mutilation.

She pointed out that even though the Refugees Commission and the board of appeal consider these as forms of persecution, the procedures are not gender sensitive.

When female irregular migrants arrive in Malta, female workers from the commission, who are trained in issues, should meet them and interview them, said Dr Caruana.

Good interpreters, who are female, are needed to fully understand what the female migrant is saying and pass on the message correctly.

Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech spoke about the importance of keeping a balance between the rights of the refugee and the rights of the state and pointed out that irregular migrants cannot abuse of Malta’s hospitality.

“They cannot cause trouble while in they are in Malta and then expect protection through refugee status.”

He pointed out that there is a very small number of migrants with refugee status, while the majority are in detention centres or without status.

Dr Zammit Dimech said that this balance must be extended to the right of appeal. “If the commission refuses to grant refugee status, then the migrant has the right to appeal.”

However, he cautioned, if when appealing the decision, the migrant refuses to give information, then the state has the right not to consider the application at all.

Furthermore, said Dr Zammit Dimech, if the migrant has new proof or documents which he could not present before, then the application should be considered.

Labour MP Leo Brincat and Nationalist MPs Frederick Azzopardi, Stephen Spiteri and Franco Debono also spoke during yesterday’s parliamentary session.