Malta’s Foreign Minister Michael Frendo has requested Hungarian support for a tough stand which he will be taking at the next EU Foreign Ministers’ Council on the lack of real commitment from the European Union with regard to illegal immigration to Malta.
“The European Union is dealing with Malta with the mentality of ‘small countries, small problems’ and this is unacceptable”, Dr Frendo told his Hungarian counterpart. “All attention is on Spain which is getting assistance and Malta is being left in the lurch. The recent landings in Malta in the last 10 days are equivalent, with regard to Malta’s population density, to over 50,000 illegal immigrants landing in Spain in the same period and the Canaries do not have that level of a problem”, Dr Frendo insisted.
“I will take a very tough stance at the next General Affairs and External Relations Council and request your support in this matter,” Minister Michael Frendo told Hungarian Foreign Minister Kinga Goncz.
The new Hungarian foreign minister said that she fully understood the uniqueness of Malta’s illegal immigration problem and the seriousness of the situation for such a small country. She said that she had visited Malta privately and was amazed at all the layers of history that one found. She knew the difficulties of a small territory because she knew Malta personally and can therefore understand better the realities and the pressures caused by unrelenting illegal immigration. During the bilateral meeting in Budapest, which lasted for over an hour, Minister Frendo explained in detail the difficult challenges Malta is facing with the situation of illegal migration.
Dr Frendo said that Malta, as part of the central Mediterranean route for illegal immigration, is being affected very badly as a result of action being carried out only on the western Mediterranean route. “The actions in the Canaries and the clamp-down on the Moroccan route is pushing the international criminal organisations to re-route to Malta and Italy. I had told all my colleagues and the commission that this would happen if action is taken only in one area and not in the other area. The same applies to the Morocco-Spanish Conference which is dedicated only to the western Mediterranean route. This should never have happened.
“It was wrong not to invite the countries of the Horn of Africa as well to that conference because this means that the problem is approached piece-meal and not holistically and the end result is to redirect illegal immigration to us,” Dr Frendo said.
Dr Frendo added that Malta will not accept a declaration that is not open for signature also by countries which have not been invited to participate in Morocco. Malta will also refuse a situation where no space is provided in the post-conference Follow-Up Committee also for countries which have not been invited to participate in the conference.
“Malta will insist on the holding of the Tripoli Conference and a date for this needs to be set immediately. This must be a conference which approaches the issue holistically in a meeting of countries of origin, transit and destination” emphasised Minister Frendo. The Hungarian Minister stated that she understood the overwhelming situation Malta is facing and repeatedly pledged Hungary’s support for Malta. She also agreed that this issue of illegal immigration should be dealt in a holistic manner. Other issues discussed included the Working-time Directive, the secession of Montenegro and Croatia’s application to join the EU as well as the success of the Corinthia Hotel in Budapest.
Dr Goncz accepted Minister Frendo’s invitation to Malta for a follow-up meeting.