Frontex needs to be given the financial resources that will allow it to perform the tasks we have entrusted to it, Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Manuel Mallia said during the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg. 

With regards to Joint Operation Triton, the Minister said that the Maltese Government supports Italy, as the host Member State, and Frontex, with a view to being in a position to participate. In fact, Maltese officers are in Rome holding discussions on this subject. Minister Manuel Mallia thanked Italy for the work carried out by Mare Nostrum over the months.  The Maltese Armed Forces of Malta have assisted these operations on a daily basis.

The Minister said: "A year ago, we were sitting in this building shocked by the incident in which almost 400 people drowned a mile off Lampedusa and a few days later we were again shaken by another similar tragedy south of Malta and Lampedusa. We set up a Task Force to identify actions to be taken, which we did, and yet people continue to lose their lives in the Mediterranean. A year later and reports point to this year as among the worst in terms of the number of migrants who have lost their life at sea in search of a better life. Just recently, we had what is certainly among the worst incidents, with migrants who survived recounting how their boat was rammed by smugglers until it capsized and sent hundreds to their deaths, all while the smugglers watched unmoved. These incidents highlight the brutality of the criminal networks behind the migrant tragedy we are witnessing. These incidents bring to us realities which shock us and our citizens. At the same time, unrest continues all around us, in Syria, in Libya among others, and the number of people seeking protection continues to grow. Implementation of these actions which we have listed in the paper before us today needs to be given utmost priority - we have to deal with it as a matter of urgency."

The Minister welcomed the new initiative of the Khartoum process so as to cover the East Africa migratory route as well and also the preparations to revamp Regional Development and Protection Programmes in North Africa and the Horn Africa are also of major importance.  These should provide these countries with the capacity building assistance they need, both to manage their borders and to provide international protection.